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Columbia Falls wastewater team warns plant and collection mains could reach capacity by 2030; lift stations lack permanent backup power
Summary
Consultants told Columbia Falls residents the wastewater treatment plant is close to its nutrient-limited capacity (roughly 0.68–0.71 MGD) and several gravity mains and lift stations are overcapacity under existing or approved-project scenarios; they suggested upgrades, additional dewatering capacity, and planning for redundancy.
Consultants from Morris & Marley and associated engineers told the Columbia Falls open house that the city’s wastewater treatment plant and portions of the collection system are approaching operational limits under current trends and projected growth.
CR Leasinger, a wastewater project engineer on the team, said the service population (including Meadowlake sewer district) is about 6,700 and the project team selected a 2.3% growth rate for the PER’s 20-year planning horizon. Using that basis, the 20-year service population for the city is roughly 9,372. Leasinger said plant capacity modeling shows a capacity ratio in the range of about…
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