BOZEMAN, Mont. — Wastewater may not smell like roses, but a new lift station serving the Riverside community is helping ensure it’s properly filtered and treated.
Shawn Kohtz, utilities director for the city of Bozeman and an expert in wastewater systems, has seen the city’s operation grow significantly over the years. Kohtz graduated with an engineering degree and previously built water treatment plants. Now, he oversees Bozeman’s Water Reclamation Facility, which processes millions of gallons daily.
“This time of year, somewhere around 7½ to 8 million gallons a day,” Kohtz said.
That load recently increased after Riverside sought help from Bozeman for its failing wastewater treatment system.
“In 2011, the state DEQ had identified problems with the old treatment system here at Riverside,” Kohtz said.
Built in the 1970s, Riverside’s wastewater system relied on a lagoon system, where water flowed by gravity into large ponds. Over time, those lagoons began to leak. For more than 15 years, residents worked to have the community annexed into the city of Bozeman so they could access its modern treatment facility.
“The city’s water reclamation facility really treats wastewater to a very high level — one of the best in the state,” Kohtz said.
WATCH: See how wastewater makes its way to the treatment facility
As of Friday, the new lift station is fully operational, sending Riverside’s wastewater to Bozeman’s treatment plant.
“We’re really excited about it because it means a lot in terms of water quality,” Kohtz said.
Kohtz explained how the system works. Raw sewage from Riverside flows into an underground tank. Once full, the tank pumps sewage into the lift station, which sends it down the road to Bozeman’s treatment plant.
“So we are walking up to what’s called the secondary treatment process,” Kohtz said during a tour.
This mechanical system — a step up from the lagoon design — might appear to be a pool of murky water, but it’s actually a microbial mass treating the waste.
After filtration, solid waste is removed and eventually sent to the Logan landfill. Treated water flows back into the East Gallatin River, a popular recreation spot.
“People love to recreate on the East Gallatin,” Kohtz said. “And of course, that water flows down to communities downstream of us. They use that as their drinking water sources. So we want to make sure that’s as clean as possible.”
