Kalispell City Council to look at replacing wells contaminated with PFAS
Jan. 27—Kalispell City Council on Monday will consider proposals to replace two municipal wells in an attempt to rid the public water supply of forever chemicals.
Council meets 7 p.m., Han. 27 in City Hall, 201 First Ave. E.
Councilors are expected to look over a preliminary engineering report proposing several projects that would replace the Armory and Grandview wells, which have consistently shown detections of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. The report was prepared by Kalispell and the civil engineering firm Robert Peccia and Associates.
Forever chemicals were first detected in the public water supply in 2022, and the move to decontaminate the drinking water comes after the Environmental Protection Agency rolled out federal regulations on six types of commonly found forever chemicals in April. A PFOS limit was established at four parts per trillion, and PFHxS, another forever chemical found in the Grandview and Armory wells, was set at 10 parts per trillion.
Replacing the wells is the second phase of the city's plan to eliminate PFAS in its water supply. The first phase was completed in October when treatment systems were installed at the Grandview Wells site near Flathead Valley Community College.
Kalispell first detected PFAS at the site in July 2023. Before the system was installed, the well tested above the actionable limit set by the EPA. According to October sampling results, the equipment is effectively eliminating PFAS from drinking water.
The system, which is being rented from Illinois-based water quality treatment service WaterSurplus, is considered only a temporary solution.
The Armory Well, which sits next to a former armory and is near the Kalispell airport, first detected PFAS in 2022 and has continued to detect the chemicals, although under the actionable limit.
Kalispell's public water system is divided into an upper and lower pressure zone. The Grandview Wells site helps supply the upper zone, north of Lawrence Park, and the Armory Well helps supply downtown and South Kalispell, the lower zone.
The report found that without the Grandview Wells site, another water source is needed to keep up with growing demand. While demand in the lower pressure zone has not been growing as rapidly, an additional source would be needed to replace the Armory Well.
The report presents several possible locations and various well types to replace each public water source but highlights two plans for each pressure zone.
Out of several options, the report proposes drilling wells by an existing emergency well on the Buffalo Hill Golf Course. The cost to drill and build needed infrastructure is estimated at $10 million. It would replace the Grandview wells.
To replace the Armory Well, the report suggests drilling two new wells by Dry Bridge Park along Woodland Avenue. The projected cost for constructing the wells and infrastructure is estimated at $7.95 million.
Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@dailyinterlake.com.
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