Sidney, Mont., has purchased 148 acres of land in order to expand the city’s wastewater lagoon. The city paid $450,000 for the property.
Mayor Bret Smelser told the Sidney Herald that the purchase will enable the lagoon to serve the city’s needs for the next 50 years.
The lagoon was constructed in 1957 and will need future updates in order to meet the standards set by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality Standards.
The city also increased the sewer water rates by $1 after no objections were voiced at a public hearing.
According to the Sidney Herald, the Director of Public Works Terry Meldahl reported that the city has made $75,000 worth of improvements to the lagoon over the past two years.
The cost of improving the lagoon to the point where it meets the DEQ standards would be around $2 million. The increase in sewer rates will bring in approximately an additional $26,000 per year.
Source: Sidney Herald
