HARLEM, Mont. (NMB) – The City of Harlem was recently able to resolve serious health and safety code violations through a sewer system upgrade with the help of state and federal grants and a loan.
A press release says that Harlem’s wastewater collection and treatment facility was constructed in 1949 and a major upgrade of the collection system and replacement of the treatment facilities took place in 1984. While the upgrades in the 80’s were beneficial to the system, over the years problems were discovered resulting in notification by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality that the City’s wastewater system was in violation of its Montana Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit. The system, including two lift stations, experienced increasing issues and needed significant work.
Over several years, the City and it’s partners worked to find a viable design solution and the funding to bring the project to fruition. The project included North Side Lift Station upgrades, but maintaining the basic concrete wet well and valve vault; Main Lift Station upgrades, including the placement of a new wet well while maintaining use of the existing building; and Treatment System replacement with an aerated lagoon, storage lagoon and irrigations system.
The project received over $5 million in funding and in December, the City completed the final step by removing sludge from the lagoons.
