Flathead County passes septage treatment facility to Lakeside district

Flathead County is handing over the construction and future operation of a regional septage treatment facility to the Lakeside County Water and Sewer District.

County commissioners on March 19 approved an interlocal agreement that provides payment of up to about $23.5 million to Lakeside to build the facility and sets terms of its operations for the next 20 years. Commissioners lauded the move, which is a departure from the county’s original plan to construct the facility itself and use the district for wastewater disposal. 

“We very much need this in our county,” Commissioner Brad Abell said of the treatment facility. “If we don’t maintain septic tanks it does affect the quality of our water. We are taking care of water by working with Lakeside.”