Kalispell City Council on Monday will vote on whether to adopt updated plans for future infrastructure improvements to the municipality's water and wastewater systems.  

The documents consider current challenges facing the city's essential utilities and will serve as long-range planning documents to guide infrastructure improvements that support future growth.  Council meets at 7 p.m., July 20 in City Hall, 201 First Ave. E. 

The updates to the city's water, sewer and advanced wastewater treatment plant plans group future capital projects into near-, mid- and long-term categories. By 2044 — the city's near-term planning horizon — Kalispell's infrastructure will have to accommodate an estimated population of 51,000.  

The trio of planning documents identified over $300 million in capital projects over the next 20 years.  

Kalispell's Advance Wastewater Treatment Plant was built in the 1990s, and several aging components need upgrades to keep pace with the city's growth, according to city officials.  

Several key pieces of equipment are nearing the end of their lifespan, but maintenance has been deferred because the city still lacks clear guidance on how strict water quality standards for discharge into Ashley Creek will be.  

While the regulatory uncertainty looms, the plan identified at least $81.8 million worth of improvements — including bioreactor and influent pumping upgrades — over the next 20 years. 

In its updated sewer system plan, the city identified nearly $80 million in capital improvement projects between 2027 and 20240.  

The system includes 120 miles of gravity sewers, 36 lift stations and 25 miles of force mains, with some of the oldest pieces of infrastructure more than 80 years old.  

Kalispell's planned water system capital projects total about $117 million between 2027 and 2040. Projects include a new transmission main, new wells and upgrades to the downtown system.  

The vote comes after Council held a work session on the plans in June and a public hearing in July that saw no public comment.  

COUNCIL WILL also vote whether to adopt the second reading of an ordinance aimed at curbing the practice known as "musical cars," in which downtown employees who park on the street move their vehicles forward a spot to avoid breaking the posted two-hour time limit.  

The new rule would require motorists to move their vehicle at least 600 feet after their two hours are up.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 406-758-4407 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.