Zinke requests federal dollars for Seeley, Ravalli sewage plants (2024)

Money for two potential sewer systems in Missoula County could come from the federal government after Montana's western U.S. House representative made a request through Congress last week.

Rep. Ryan Zinke announced the funding request for 15 western Montana infrastructure projects on Friday, including $18 million for a Seeley Lake sewer, which locals have revived as housing prices rise and water quality diminishes.

Zinke also requested $10 million for a wastewater treatment plant in Ravalli County, which has struggled to keep up with sewage as the Bitterroot Valley booms with growth.

The money would come from the House's Community Project Funding. Each request must be approved by the House Appropriations Committee. Zinke, a Republican, is a member of the committee.

“We’ve identified and nominated great projects like a wastewater system in Seeley Lake that will help revitalize the town and bring back jobs, and a five-county law enforcement project that will deliver state of the art equipment to our sheriffs and allow them all to coordinate with the same comms and gear should a multi-county situation emerge," Zinke said in a news release announcing the request. "I am thankful to the county commissioners, mayors and sheriffs who have been working with my office for months to identify projects that would have the biggest impacts.”

The Seeley Lake sewer project, announced this April, would replace a network of septic systems across the 1,500-person town. Missoula County has placed septic restrictions around Seeley Lakefor years, citing water contamination.

A 2021 effort by town residents to build a sewer system was shot down by a solid majority of the population. That plan would have cost $16 million for the first phase, with about $10 million paid for by grants.

Part of the reason a new sewer is in the works is because of the closure of Seeley Lake's largest employer, Pyramid Mountain Lumber. The mill announced its closure in mid-March.

Pyramid is expected to keep working into July before shutting down operations and auctioning off its equipment. Zinke cited Pyramid's closure in the release.

"The town of Seeley Lake is very rural and unable to build additional housing because it does not have a municipal water system to support additional housing and the existing septic system is at capacity and contaminating the groundwater," the release said. "Building a water system will allow developers to invest in affordable, workforce housing to support reopening the mill and growing jobs and economic activity in the region."

The sewer district would still have to pay for hooking up the system to people's homes.

The sewer district has contracted with Water and Environmental Technologies, based in Butte, to work on a design of the project. The project could start as soon as spring 2025, Decker told the Pathfinder.

Decker was not available for a call with the Missoulian on Monday morning.

In the Bitterroot, Zinke proposed $10 million for a sewage treatment plant in Ravalli County. Currently, most homes operate on septic systems. Zinke similarly said the lack of a sewer has limited affordable housing.

He added that the situation in Ravalli County recently worsened after Missoula County stopped allowing the neighboring county to dump septic waste, also creating an environmental impact.

"Currently all sewage pumped from septic tanks in Ravalli County is being (disposed) of on National Forest lands. This is a concern both environmentally and economically due to the capacity barriers this creates," the release said. "Septic seepage levels are reaching a dangerous level and because of this the county is limited in new septic permits it can issue to build new homes and dwellings."

If funded, Zinke's office said the sewage treatment center would protect the area's drinking water, ease development restrictions and keep sewage from entering the Bitterroot River.

The money will take some time to move through the federal government process, Zinke's Chief of Staff Heather Swift told the Missoulian. Funding that Zinke proposed for the Blackfeet Nation in February 2023 was just allocated in March 2024, Swift said.

The money must also survive almost half a dozen votes in committees and the full House of Representatives before it can be allocated.

Other water infrastructure money proposed by Zinke includes $1 million for a Lolo wastewater treatment plant and $1 million for a water tower in Alberton.