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A water-bottling plant is proposed on Lew Weaver’s land near Creston.
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Proposed Discharge Permit Under Review for
Creston Water-Bottling Plant
Department of Environmental Quality released draft permit June 27 for controversial plant
BY BEACON STAFF
The Montana Department of Environ- mental Quality is accepting public com- ments on a wastewater discharge permit for a water-bottling plant proposed in Creston.
The state agency released the draft permit June 27 for the Montana Artesian Water Company’s proposed plant at 1085 Egan Slough Rd.
The permit, if granted, would regu- late the discharge of wastewater into an unnamed tributary of the Flathead River. The draft permit includes e uent limits and monitoring requirements to protect the receiving water quality and habitat, according to the DEQ.
Lew Weaver, the owner of Montana Artesian Water Co., is seeking to pump 710 acre-feet of water annually from an underground aquifer near Egan Slough alongtheFlatheadRiver,theequivalent of 1.2 billion 20-ounce water bottles.
Weaver’s request, and his goal to pro- duce 140,000 water bottles per hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at a facility on his farmland, drummed up consider- able attention, fueling concerns among neighbors and residents across the valley.
Weaver has defended his plans, saying he followed the proper regulatory steps and studied the potential environmental consequences.
As proposed, the company would dis- charge water from the building’s tem- perature control system and water used to rinse bottles before being lled. Water would be drawn from an onsite, artesian, public water supply well.
The same water bottled for drink- ing would be used for two purposes that result in a discharge of e uent to be authorized by the proposed permit, according to the DEQ. The rst would be non-contact heating water, which is
an enclosed heating system. The sec- ond would be drinking water bottle rin- sate, which is the water used to rinse the drinking water bottles, as a cleaning step, prior to the bottles being lled with drinking water. This rinsate water would be discharged to the receiving water via a second pipe.
According to the draft permit, the discharge ow into the receiving water body is not expected to have any adverse impacts on the geology, soil quality or stability.
The DEQ says the permit would include e uent limits, monitoring requirements and other conditions that would ensure the water quality stan- dards were protected. The permitted outfalls will cause a slight increase in water quantity within the receiving water.
An increase in local tra c may occur with the potential to increase dust, according to the DEQ. “However, the increase particulate matter would be short-lived and not signi cant,” the draft permit states. “Flathead County has approved a road approach for this project.”
Seven plant species of special concern were identi ed by the Montana Natural Heritage Program to potentially be in the project area. This project would be located in a well-developed residential and agricultural area and it is not antic- ipated that any of the species of concern will be impacted by the proposed project, according to the DEQ.
E uent limits and permit conditions will ensure water quality standards for aquatic life are protected, according to the DEQ.
Eleven animal species and seven plant species of special concern were identi ed by the Montana Natural Heritage Pro- gram to potentially be in the project area.
The discharges to the unnamed tribu- tary are proposed to be located approx- imately 1,300 feet from the con uence of the receiving water with the Flathead River, which is considered bull trout hab- itat at this location. Bull trout are pro- tected as a threatened species.
The DEQ states the permit limits would protect aquatic life in the receiv- ing water prior to its con uence with the Flathead River and would prevent impacts to bull trout.
A public hearing will be held on Fri- day, Aug. 1. The hearing is strictly lim- ited to accepting and recording public comments on the draft wastewater dis- charge permit. DEQ o cials will respond to all comments received during the pub- lic-comment period, including the pub- lic hearing, in writing at a later date. It will begin at 6 p.m. in the Creston School gymnasium at 4495 Montana Highway 35.
The deadline for submitting com- ments is Aug. 5.
The DEQ permit does not grant a water right. Instead, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is reviewing whether to issue a water right permit for the plant.
The DNRC in May validated dozens of formal objections from farmers, prop- erty owners and other entities over the water-bottling plant, prompting an addi- tional layer of government review and triggering a hearing around the contro- versial plan.
The draft wastewater permit, fact sheet and environmental analysis can be reviewed on the DEQ website.
Comments may be submitted at the hearing or by mail to DEQ Water Pro- tection Bureau, PO Box 200901, Helena, MT 59620-0901 or by email to DEQW- [email protected].
news@ atheadbeacon.com
JUNE 29, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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