Firelight subdivision as effluent disposal option considered
By Bay Stephens EBS Staff Writer
BIG SKY – On Dec. 19, the Big Sky Water and Sewer District board passed a resolution that will fund further design work of the water treatment facility upgrade and passed a motion to approach Firelight Meadows Condominiums about conducting an engineering study, to determine how much effluent disposal the development’s drain field could afford the district if the entities were connected.
Scott Buecker of Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services (AE2S) in Bozeman proposed two wastewater treatment plant upgrade timelines: a “rapid” option that would have the plant completed by 2021, and a “relaxed” option that slated completion for 2023.
The board opted for a variation of the less-aggressive timeline, deciding to have more engineering and design work completed by AE2S that would better define the costs of the upgrade going forward.
The district also agreed to approach Firelight Meadows about conducting a formal engineering study on their drain field to determine how much effluent could effectively be disposed of in the field.
The district’s general manager, Ron Edwards, said the board had considered Firelight as a potential additional disposal option for a couple of years, so long as the complex connected to the district. Edwards doesn’t expect connection between Firelight and the district any time soon. A private utility company called Westfork Water and Wastewater currently owns and operates the water supply system and sewage for the Firelight development.
