St. Regis residents not interested in town water system

Nearly 100 concerned residents, including numerous business owners, turned out on July 21 at the St. Regis Community Center for a special public meeting regarding the possibility of a town water system. 

Hired by the St. Regis Resort Tax District, Carrie Gardner, a professional engineer from Great West Engineering, presented a preliminary engineering report to the crowd. It was established during the event through public inquiry and discussion that the community had no interest in forming a town water system, but rather that the businesses should consider alternative options for a possible commercial water system.

At the public hearing, Gardner, the project manager, explained the very early planning stages, the process of completing a preliminary engineering report (PER), and the need for public input. A PER first encompasses the evaluation of the existing community population; the most recent St. Regis census data was marked at 438 people. An engineering plan would look at creating a water system to support the growth of at least 20 years. 

Available data on water demand indicates that residential use averages around 90-110 gallons per day per person. While commercial water demand is roughly 17,000 gallons a day. 

The next part of a PER covers water supply, surface water and distribution, which includes fire suppression, hydrants and firefighting capacity. Next is looking at storage options, such as an elevated water tank. 

A key component of any community looking to implement a town-wide water system is the funding to complete such a project. Gardner conveyed that numerous grants and funds are available during the legislative cycle. The Montana Department of Natural Resources provides grants for such developments, as well as the Montana Coal Endowment Program. 

The last portion of the PER pertains to completing an environmental assessment. 

Following an hour of passionate public dialogue, mostly directed toward members of the St. Regis Resort Tax District, a consensus was reached that the town does not have a need or a desire for a water system. But rather, the businesses should consider pursuing options to create a commercial water system if the need presents itself. 

The presentation alone on July 21 cost $10,000, paid by the St. Regis Resort Tax District for Gardner to host the public hearing and deliver information on the proposed water system. 

According to St. Regis Volunteer Fire Chief Jerry Dockter, there are 72 artesian wells in the town of St. Regis. There is one fire hydrant in the town that was paid for by the St. Regis Resort Tax District, upon Dockter’s request. It is located on Mullan Gulch Road across from Jasper’s Restaurant. During the open conversation, it was concluded that no residents present at the meetings had any current problems with their wells, none have been found contaminated or lacking pressure. 

Moving forward, the St. Regis Resort Tax District will convene at its monthly meeting held on the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at the St. Regis Community Center. The next meeting will be held on Aug. 11, at which time they will elect whether or not to complete the preliminary engineering report from Great West Engineering for $65,000.