After months of discussion, the Flathead City-County Health Board accepted changes to the county’s septic regulation and construction standards — sending them to the Board of Commissioners for final approval.  

Health Board Chair Don Barnhart said the effort has taken 18 months of meetings, including a public comment period that ran from Dec. 30, 2025 through Jan. 30., 2026 Health board members wanted to bring the county in line with the Department of Environmental Quality’s Standards for Subsurface Wastewater Treatment Systems. 

The state standards allow for gravity-fed septic systems, which Flathead County has not permitted since 2004. However, the Department of Environmental Quality said pressure systems should be the “method of choice whenever possible.” 

Gravity systems typically move sewage through pipes to a drain field with the help of gravity. Uniform pressure septic systems work in a similar way but use a pump — outperforming gravity-flow systems because distribution is more uniform and controlled.   

The proposal to allow gravity systems earned plenty of opposition during the public comment period, including from Joe Russell, who helmed the Flathead City-County Health Department from 1998 until his retirement in 2017.  

He said the lengthy determination in the early 2000s concluded that Flathead County, with its high amount of surface water, requires a higher level of treatment. Uniform pressure systems are the best and most economical way to ensure that is achieved.  

Members of the Flathead City-County Health Board, though, argued that gravity systems are an important option to offer to homeowners, particularly those who live off-grid.  

Health board member Ardis Larsen said she doesn’t believe people will be champing at the bit to install gravity systems everywhere.  

"We work on multiple jobs where people will say ‘We’d like to do gravity’ and it doesn't work. But what I want it to be is a tool in the toolbox. That's all we were trying to do, is put stuff in there that they can use. And the thing is, if gravity [systems] are so bad, then why is the state allowing them in other places?” Larsen said.  

Board member Tobias Liechti pointed to the “narrow window” in which gravity systems are allowed by state standards, adding that there are many conditions that need to be met before a gravity system is installed.  

At the end of the day, Liechti wants to give Flathead County property owners another option.  

“If there's a chance that we can help a young couple build a house out here, and there's a chance we can save them some money ... If I do a gravity system that protects water quality and it's all up to standard — if we can save them that money, because their house costs half a million dollars now, I'm all for it.” 

Flathead County Commissioner Pam Holmquist, who serves as that body’s representative to the health board, said the Health Department is still going to do everything up to standards when it comes to installing gravity systems.  

“We're still going to look at the specifics, look at the rules, look at what the DEQ says, soil types — all of that stuff is going to be looked at. We have regulations in place to take care of our water quality, folks. We're not going to just decimate the whole valley with septage, it’s just not going to happen,” Holmquist said.  

Not everyone agreed — board member Don Barnhart said he's been reluctant to allow gravity systems back into the county’s regulations.  

During their deliberations, Barnhart said he proposed allowing gravity systems with restrictions. He also proposed a way to include it in the county’s variance process, but it was past the public comment period and wasn’t included in the official proposal.  

In his 40 years of experience installing septic systems, he’s seen the drawbacks of gravity systems compared to uniform pressure systems. 

“I still believe, often times, that gravity is not treatment, it's disposal. What it's doing is  disposing wherever it can ... The anaerobic treatment in the tank, if you overload it with solids, you need that pumping system and you need proper treatment of your sewage.” Barnhart said.  

Harkening back to Russell’s comments, he disagreed with the move to rescind the higher standards.  

He said the conversation reminded him of vaccine hesitancy — as vaccination rates dropped, there has been a spike in communicable diseases like measles.  

“It shows once you have a standard, we should not be taking a step back. I think the role of the of the health board is to protect the health of the citizens the best we can. And I just can't in good conscience vote for that,” Barnhart said.  

A motion to accept the findings of the septic regulation and construction standards passed with seven members voting in favor, Holmquist abstaining and Barnhart voting no. A motion to forward their recommendation to the Flathead County Commissioners for final approval passed along the same voting lines.  

Holmquist abstained from the votes as a sitting county commissioner. She will cast her vote on the matter when it is brought up at the commissioner’s meeting.  

Reporter Taylor Inman may be reached at 758-4440 or [email protected].