The Hill County Health Board is reviewing a Patrick Construction Co. proposal to dig a sewage lagoon on property about two miles south of the Havre city limits.
The lagoon would be built on a road west of Beaver Creek Road, south of the city.
The lagoon would drain sewage Patrick Construction pumps from septic tanks in the area. Hill County Sanitarian Clay Vincent said once drained, the sewage can be used as fertilizer.
Some neighbors have expressed reservations about the idea, Vincent said, adding that sometimes when the winds blow hard, sewage odors may blow near homes on Beaver Creek Road.
He said Patrick Construction often hauls sewage through the city streets and deposits it at the Havre city wastewater treatment plant. The city charges for the service.
The Hill County Health Board, comprised of three county commissioners and several other appointees, meets four times a year. Recently, the board asked Patrick Construction to provide some information about the lagoon.
The Health Board will call a special meeting or wait until the next regular meeting to make a decision, said Vincent.
However, it’s unclear exactly what constitutes the Health Board’s authority on the matter, he added.
But if the lagoon was built and neighbors complained that it was a public nuisance, the county could be caught in the middle of the “situation,” he said. To avoid any possibility of subsequent lawsuits, he added that the county elected to be proactive by being involved in the discussion from the beginning.
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Write to John Kelleher at [email protected]
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