Board Accepts LOR Foundation's Help

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer Board voted to accept assistance putting out an informational packet at its Sept. 15 regular meeting. A county health department representative also presented on the Seeley Lake Special Management Area and how the county currently handles septic permits in town.

The LOR Foundation offered assistance in putting out an informational packet. LOR would pay for a public relations company to collect and assemble the information presenting the facts on the proposed system.

Some board members would like to use Great West Engineering to go door to door with the information. District Manager Amy Rose said she could ask but she didn't think engineers were the right people to use. Rose did add that having the engineers available at a public forum to answer questions was a good idea.

Manager Greg Robertson warned that going door to door with the information might cross the line between providing information and promoting or advocating for the system.

It is illegal for the district to promote a "yes" vote. They must keep it to purely informational and educational. Individual board members can advocate for the system but not together as a board.

Board Chairman Mike Boltz said that some door-to-door could be done but LOR has recommended using multiple mailings.

Board Member Bob Skiles expressed concerns of having outsiders come in to present the information to the district.

"Seeley Lake people don't trust people from outside," said Skiles.

The board discussed the issue and unanimously agreed to accept the LOR Foundation's help. LOR wouldn't necessarily be the one who would deliver the information. LOR has previously provided a $500,000 grant toward the sewer.

The board discussed plans to host a meeting in order to collect questions that people have with the district to help guide the informational packets. No date has been set.

In other business, Environmental Health Specialist Jim Erven from the Missoula City-County Health Department explained how the county is dealing with septic permitting in Seeley Lake.

Erven explained that the health department created the Seeley Lake Special Management Area last year. He said that it wasn't really a new thing, it just put into writing how the health department has treated Seeley Lake for a number of years.

State law doesn't allow for any discharges into groundwater if it causes the groundwater to have more than 10 milligrams per liter (mg/l) of nitrate.

The health department has been tracking the three wells that the Seeley Lake Sewer District has been monitoring. Over the last decade there have been elevated levels of nitrate with some over the 10 ml/l standard.

Due to these elevated levels of nitrates, the health department requires landowners to prove that any new septic system or added use on an existing system won't contribute to nitrates in the ground water violating the 10 mg/l standard.

Erven said that there is no building moratorium in Seeley Lake, however this requirement of the landowner can be very expensive. It involves engineering a special septic system that takes more nitrates out than a standard system.

"I haven't seen anybody yet, get a new or increased use approved in the special management area," said Erven. "Not because it's impossible. It's generally more cost prohibitive."

Erven emphasized that the policy is not being applied to replacement systems as long as the use of the system was staying the same.

The boundaries of the district were drawn based on the location of the offending test wells and groundwater flow studies.

Erven said that because all three wells are showing consistently elevated nitrates, the problem is considered to be due to the high density of septic systems in town. Some of the highest readings could be coming from a point source but the health department doesn't have the resources to study the issue.

Erven said that the county started permitting septic systems in 1967. Over the years they have seen all sorts of older systems using car bodies, bricks, tires or metal tanks in the area.

Erven said that all septic systems will fail at some point and that a central sewer would allow for landowners to build or expand their uses. He said he didn't have enough information to say whether or not a central sewer would take care of the algae blooms seen on Salmon Lake in recent years.

The next regular SLSD board meeting is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Oct. 20. At the Missoula County Satellite Office located at 3360 Highway 83.