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With the latest approval of a state grant, the community of Paradise is one step closer to achieving a goal of having a centralized wastewater collection and treatment system, but likely will need a loan to cover the gap, according to project manager Collette Anderson of Great West Engineering in Helena.

Under the jurisdiction of Sanders County — Paradise does not have a municipal government — the Sanders County Sewer District at Paradise has secured $3,050,005 in federal and state grants, including the approval of a $561,005 grant two weeks ago, and they received a $676,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Loan. However, they still need $2,900,995 to complete the project, according to Anderson.

The Sanders County Sewer District at Paradise was formed some 10 years ago, but was unable to secure any loans or grants, thereby temporarily halting the project until 2016, according to Anderson. Sunny Chase is the board president. “They have since worked closely with the county and Great West to develop the proposed improvements, including facilitating public meetings, participating in monthly conference calls with funding agencies and providing feedback on project implementation,” said Anderson, who added that her firm began working on the Preliminary Engineering Report and applied for two grants in 2016. 

Plans are for the nearly 200 residents of Paradise to go from individual septic systems, which were made from a variety of materials, to a centralized collection system and a wastewater treatment system, which would include a community drain field. The proposed wastewater treatment site and drain field would be located northwest of Paradise. Individual septic systems would be abandoned, according to a county ordinance that requires all within the district boundary to be connected to the new system once it is in place.

“Many of the properties in the district do not have room to construct a replacement septic system in accordance with today’s regulatory standards, which has made permitting difficult for the county sanitarian. Substandard systems typically are unable to reduce nutrients and pathogens to safe levels, which creates a public health and safety risk and threatens the quality of area ground and surface waters,” said Anderson. “This is concerning considering Paradise’s public water system and other drinking water supplies are accessed from shallow groundwater sources. As such, the county and the district have determined that a long term solution that will resolve these issues is necessary,” said Anderson, adding that the project is necessary to protect public health and safety. She also noted that existing septic systems are not providing the necessary wastewater treatment in Paradise members’ homes or businesses. 

However, no work can begin until the rest of the needed funds are secured, said Anderson, who noted they are in the final design stage and hope to submit plans to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality this spring before soliciting bids for construction this autumn. “Based on where we are right now, I think this is an achievable schedule.  However, it is possible that agency review times and permitting could potentially impact the schedule,” Anderson said.