KALISPELL — Kalispell city leaders are taking a hard look at how the city disposes of waste from its wastewater treatment plant after a longtime disposal option disappeared and left the council weighing what should take its place.
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Every time a Kalispell resident flushes, the wastewater plant produces biosolids — a solid byproduct. For years, the city sent them to Olney to be turned into compost. Then that door closed.
"We used to take it to Glacier Gold, but they no longer accept those — they've closed down their Olney facility, so we can't take it there any longer," Kalispell Mayor Ryan Hunter said.
That sent the city searching for a new solution. It settled on the county landfill. But first, the city had to make its biosolids dry enough to meet landfill standards.
"We have installed pressing machines to press the water out of the biosolids, that product that we take to landfill," Hunter said.
The landfill requires biosolids at 18%. The city's machines fall short, so workers got creative.
"We are combining the biosolids with our leaf litter that we pick up from city streets to try to increase that solid in it, and we are going to try that for a few years," Hunter said.
It's a workaround, not a solution. Officials worry the county landfill could eventually stop accepting biosolids. The city council is now weighing two options: the leaf-litter method, or industrial dryers.
"We're investigating possible dryers that would dry the biosolids to the level that would be appropriate for the landfill," Hunter said.
For now, Kalispell residents won't notice a difference. But the decision ahead could shape how the city manages its waste for years to come.
"It's going to come back to council, there's going to be plenty more discussion for it, and of course the public is always welcome to come and provide public comment, and weigh in on it," Hunter said.
