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In 1948, the City of Thompson falls installed a public sewer system for residences and businesses south of the railroad tracks. Since then, no major additions have been completed. As aging systems are replaced and the city sees increasing problems with septic systems, the city is now exploring options for connecting the rest of the city, namely the properties above the railroad tracks, to the city sewer system.

Through grants and loans, the city paid about $65,000 for a preliminary engineering report (PER) by Great West Engineering for the wastewater system improvements. Great West reported in the PER that it will cost more than $19,000,000 for the improvements, which are being proposed in five phases.

The city now will hold a public hearing on the proposal on Monday, March 5, at 7 p.m. at the Thompson Falls Community Center. The city will then bring the matter before the city council at its March 12 meeting to determine whether or not to pursue grants and continue to move forward with the project.

Mayor Mark Sheets said that Great West presented two scenarios of project cost estimates in the PER. In scenario one, Great West projected 25 percent of the project cost funded with grants. With that, the cost for residents receiving the city sewer service would be approximately $68.13 per month. If grants can be secured for 75 percent of the project cost, the approximate monthly cost for property owners would be $45.06. Sheets said that the project would include connecting properties to five feet within a house or business, so the only other cost to a property owner would be landscaping after the project is complete.

“We’re hoping for at least 75 percent grant funding for the project,” Sheets said, adding that if those grants were not all secured, the city would have to look seriously at holding off on the project, because the debt would be too much for the city.

If everything moves ahead as outlined in the PER, construction of Phase 1 of the project could begin in spring 2020. The PER, which will be discussed at the public hearing on March 5, details the five phases being complete in 10 years. The first four phases will include connection of residential sections to the city sewer from west to east, with the fifth phase being treatment plant upgrades. Sheets said that a phased approach would allow the city to use the grants to the maximum.

At the January City Council meeting, Sanders County Sanitarian Shawn Sorenson outlined the wastewater treatment projects completed in 2017, including several replacement systems. Sorenson commented on the difficulty in replacing systems on the hill in Thompson Falls, due to site constraints including clay and boulders in the ground, and space.

“The project will provide good treatment options,” Sorenson said of the city sewer proposal.

Sheets said the project is “needed now or later,” saying that the longer the city waits to get started on the sewer project, the higher the costs will be. The PER took close to a year to complete, he said.

Craig Pozega with Great West Engineering and Sorenson, along with city representatives, will be available at the public hearing on Monday.