Concerned Lakeside residents say the Montana Department of Environmental Quality has rushed the review of the new wastewater treatment facility under construction in Lakeside.  

The state agency held a public hearing on April 23 at the Lakeside QRU regarding a draft environmental assessment for Phase II of the project, which includes the construction and operation of a new wastewater treatment facility in Lakeside.  

At the hearing, residents expressed frustration over what they felt was an insufficient public comment period. Initially, the timeframe was set at 14 days but was extended for an additional seven days, concluding on April 30.  

Many residents felt they did not have enough time to seek out independent professional assessments of the project and its impacts on Flathead Lake.  

“Public participation means not only the right to stand up and speak your mind; it means the right to do so knowledgeably,” said longtime Lakeside resident Chris Swanberg. “And when a professional engineer has prepared a document, there's probably not another professional engineer in this room that can stand peer to peer with them. That means we need to find other people, professional engineers.”  

Swanberg also expressed disappointment that the draft assessment examined the impacts of a sequence batch reactor treatment plant but did not explore other technology options. The Lakeside County Water and Sewer District considered three options and ultimately selected the sequence batch reactor, which board members felt balanced construction and operational costs with treatment quality. 

But many residents said they want to know how the sequence batch reactor compares to other technologies, such as the membrane bioreactor, which was recommended by the Flathead Lake Biological Station. Without this information included in the assessment, they felt they were unable to provide informed feedback.  

Nancy Baker, a longtime Lakeside resident, said she wants to support the project, but feels she doesn’t have enough information. She was especially frustrated that the project was divided into separate phases, which made it more challenging for her to understand the overall impact.  

Construction of the new wastewater treatment facility is being broken into two phases. Phase I of the project, which was approved by the state agency on April 9, 2025, concerned a permit that would allow for an update and expansion of Lakeside’s wastewater treatment facility to accept, treat, and handle wastewater. The permit would also allow for the discharge of treated wastewater into state groundwater via rapid infiltration basins, which are shallow earthen basins designed to allow treated wastewater to filter into the ground.  

As part of the first phase of the project, a new septage receiving and treatment facility is being constructed on Somers Stage Road, with expected completion in summer 2026. The facility would not be operational until the completion of the second phase of the project, when the specialized wastewater treatment facility is finished to treat the district’s normal wastewater flow, along with septage from septic tanks.   

Lakeside entered into an agreement with Flathead County in 2023 to operate a regional septage treatment facility. There are 24,000 permitted septic systems that require regular pumping in the county, but no facilities that treat septage.   

While the public hearing was only regarding Phase II of the project, many residents took the opportunity to express lingering concerns over the first phase, including the groundwater discharge permit and the location of the facility.  

“This is not just a wastewater treatment facility,” said Lakeside resident Kate Droll. “It's a discharge system that's being placed into a shallow aquifer that is hydraulically connected to Wiley Slough, Ashley Creek and Flathead Lake. If this were a wastewater treatment facility somewhere else, we wouldn't be having these same discussions. What enters the subsurface here has a pathway to surface water.” 

Bruce Young, another Lakeside resident who has been involved with Flathead Lake water quality issues for more than 50 years, said he has advocated for alternative locations for the facility, farther away from the lake. With regards to Phase II, he urged the state agency to extend the comment period to 60 days. 

“The people of Flathead Lake care deeply about the future of this lake, and they do not want to take any risks or any chances,” he said. 

While many commenters expressed frustration with the draft assessment and the project in general, community members also spoke in support of the project, which they say is sorely needed in the Flathead Valley.  

Mark James, representing the Evergreen Water and Sewer District, said the project will reduce costs in the county and reiterated the draft’s findings that the project will significantly improve the quality of the discharged wastewater compared to existing systems.  

“Time is of the essence,” he said. “We ask that permits are expedited to keep the construction of this project on schedule. We have reviewed the draft environmental assessment and have no concerns.”  

Jeff Larsen, a Lakeside resident, civil engineer specializing in sewer and water system design, and member of the Montana Environmental Consultants Association, said the group is in strong support of the project.  

“The members of our group have reviewed the environmental assessment, and we agree with the conclusions. We are strongly in support of the Phase II improvements for the Lakeside Water and Sewer District wastewater system upgrades,” he said. “The new treatment facility is designed to achieve substantially higher levels of treatment, reducing contaminants and providing stronger protection for Flathead Lake and the surrounding groundwater resources for future generations. 

Toby Liechti, a civil engineer and certified water and wastewater operator in the Flathead Valley, also supported the project.  

“Under Montana's non-degradation rules, a project like this must demonstrate that they will not cause significant impacts to water quality,” he said. “That requires detailed modeling, conservative assumptions and ongoing monitoring. This project has met those requirements, and in many ways, represents an improvement over existing conditions.” 

The extended public comment period for the Phase II draft environmental assessment ends April 30. To view the environmental assessment and learn how to submit a comment visit deq.mt.gov/News/publiccomment-folder/lakeside-ea-04-09-26. 

Reporter Elsa Ericksen can be reached at 406-758-4459 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.   

    Staff from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality listen to comments on the second phase of the Lakeside County Water and Sewer District wastewater treatment facility project during a public hearing in Lakeside on April 23. (Elsa Ericksen/Bigfork Eagle)