We drink what we flush: Growth plan emphasizes importance of wastewater treatment

As part of the 10-year update to the Lewis and Clark County growth policy, the discussion of key issues facing new subdivisions includes a pointed observation on wastewater.

We eventually drink what we put down the drain. Thousands of existing homes in Helena Valley and those that will be added dump their treated wastewater into the same aquifer they get drinking water from, according to the Lewis and Clark County growth policy Key Issues Report.

Between 7,000 and 17,000 new residents are anticipated to move here in the next 20 years. The working estimate for county officials is 10,000 new residents and 4,000 new housing units.

If recent surveys are any indication, the majority of these housing units will treat wastewater with individual septic systems, with the rest using some sort of a community wastewater system serving multiple homes, according to the Key Issues Report.

Comment is being sought on the report to help planners better shape regulations for managing future growth. Fundamental to their concern is the density of development the number of homes in a given area.

Density can drain aquifers. It can produce enough wastewater to taint groundwater.

Wastewater disposal is one of five key issues that are the focus of discussion as the county prepares to update its growth policy, which was last updated in 2004. From the Key Issues Report and a companion document will come regulation for county adoption.

The county recently initiated a septic system monitoring and maintenance program aimed at protecting public health. Based on an assessment form, the program defines how often septic tanks need to be pumped.

Jim Wilbur, the Lewis and Clark County Water Quality Protection District coordinator, said he sees this program as a permanent necessity for individual septic systems.

There have been policy discussions on whether to extend Helenas wastewater collection system into the Helena Valley to serve subdivisions there, he said.

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We drink what we flush: Growth plan emphasizes importance of wastewater treatment