Study confirms septic pollution in Whitefish Lake

WHITEFISH – A nonprofit research organization this week released the
results of astudy that confirms septic pollution in Whitefish Lake
dueto outmoded or failing septic systems.
The report concludes that recreation is still safe on Whitefish Lake,
but recommends that steps be taken to update aging systemsand
identifies areas along the shoreline where a high risk of future
contamination exists.
The Whitefish Lake Institute conducted the study, which was sponsored
by the Whitefish County Water District and funded by the state
Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. The purpose of the
investigation was to determinethe extent of septic leachate from aging
septic systems along the shoreline, and also to evaluate the
ecological pressures, the economic threats to the Whitefish community
and the potential public health risks posed by declining water
quality.
Septic leachate is the liquid refuse that remains after wastewater
drains through septic solids. It contains high concentrations of
bacteria from human waste, detergentsand other household materials.
"These findings are not outrageous, this isn't spectacular or
sensational, but it is definitely problematic," Lori Curtis, science
and education directorat Whitefish Lake Institute, said. "Whenever you
have human DNA in a body of water it is definitely not a good thing,
and it's really importantfor a community to come together and fix it."
The costs of updating decades-old systems would beexorbitant, but
Curtis said theneed to do so is pressing. Previous studies identified
septic leachate in Whitefish Lake as early as 1981 and theproblem has
only grown worse.
In addition to reporting the findings, the study made recommendations
that include education and outreach programs geared toward property
owners with outdatedsystems, as well as regulatoryprograms focused on
making changes to protect the lake.
The report also identified potential state and federal funding sources
that may be available for upgrade projects.
Curtis said city government has been responsive to the study and
scheduled a work session in May to brainstorm solutions to the
problem.
"We are thrilled that WhitefishCity Council is appreciative and has
expressed a willingness to fix the problem," Curtis said. "Nobodywants
to spend money fixing broken toilet systems, but it is an important
fix, even though it will be expensive."
The study identified three confirmed areas of contamination on City
Beach Bay, Viking Creek and Lazy Bay. It also identified two areas
with a high potential for contamination and four areas with medium
potential.
***
Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld said he is committed to addressing the
problem with an eye toward long- and short-term improvements, but a
quick-and-easy solution is unlikely.
"We will certainly be working to try to find some solutions that are
effective and feasible, but financially it is going to be a big
hurdle, both for the city and private property owners," he said.
Muhlfeld said one potential solution is for residents to take it upon
themselves to update septic systems and drain fields to meet higher
standards and for the community to band together and establish
community treatment facilities.
According to local septic system engineers, the Point ofPines
subdivision at the head of Whitefish Lake is an example of how an
upgraded community wastewater systemcan benefit homeowners and the
lake. A group of homeowners there formed a neighborhood association
with the purpose of funding the system, which now serves 25 homes.
The purveyor of the new systems, Tom Anderson of Glacier Precast
Concrete in Kalispell, said new septic technology is designed to
dramatically diminish the levels of septic leachate by reducing
nitrates and phosphates.
"The improvements are huge, especially compared to what was being
installed in the '70sand '80s," Anderson said. "Some of these systems
are built out of car bodies and a couple of 55-gallon drums. That is
not unheard of, but there is no way to make anyone fix it. The
technology is there, but we can't make them do it."
Anderson said the Point of Pines subdivision serves as an excellent
example of how a community can pull together toproblem solve, but it
is also a rare example. Installing a new septic system on a lakeside
property often costs more to begin with – sometimes in the range of
$30,000 to $40,000– and the higher-level systemswill add around
$10,000 to that cost.
Muhlfeld said the council will explore ways of offering incentives to
property owners who are not annexed but are wholly surrounded by the
city to connect to its services, butthose property owners would still
bear the costs of a new sewer system.
"We are just in the infant stages of really digesting the study,"
Muhlfeld said. "The role of the institute is to provide the science to
the community, and they have done that. Now it's up to the city
council to develop and address the issues of septic leachate."

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