SK Marina adds wastewater pumping-station

By B.L. Azure

The new septic pumping station at S&K marina is ready for business. (B.L. Azure photo)

POLSON — S&K Marina recently put into service a wastewater pumping-station on its docks. The reason is twofold. It offers a service that heretofore was non-existent on the southern portion of Flathead Lake and by providing that service it helps curb the illegal dumping of septic water in he lake from large boats.

"This is a real good deal," said Rich Janssen, manager of the CSKT Environmental Protection Division, a component of the Natural Resource Department. "It provides a much needed service that is absent from the south end of the lake while improving the water quality."

Funds for the project came from a Bureau of Reclamation clean water grant aimed at water quality improvement projects. The $15,000 grant paid for the materials needed for the project while in-kind labor by S&K Marina staff constructed the system, according to Tracy Burland, manager of S&K Marina.

The septic drain station is similar to the ones used for RVs. Large house or touring boats with septic holding tanks up to 350 gallons to small boats with three- to five-gallon septic holding tanks have used the tank since it went into service a bit over a month ago, Burland said.

"This is the first of its kind in Polson. It's way overdue. We're on the lake and lots and lots of people need this kind of service," Burland said. "There is one at Finley Point State Park but it is hard to access."

The other option for boat owners with septic holding tanks was to load their boats onto trailers and haul them to an RV park with septic drainage services. The smaller tanks could be physically removed and carried by hand and dumped into an appropriate dumping site.

"It was a big hassle for them to do that," Burland said.

Both Janssen and Burland said the other way boat owners could rid themselves of their accumulated waste was to illegally dump it in the lake, which has been done before. They both hope the convenience of the septic drainage station will eliminate any illegal dumping that might otherwise happen because of the lack of a dumping station.

"We want to do all we can to prevent that," Janssen said about illegal dumping of wastewater in the lake. "The lake is clean and we want to keep it that way."

The cost for use of the system ranges from $10 for the very small tanks up to $150 for the 300-gallon tanks.

Watercraft was water will be pumped to this holding tank for treatment prior to being pumped into the Polson sewer system. (B.L. Azure photo)

Septic waste is pumped into a two-cell holding tank. Once the tank is three-quarters full an automatic pump dispenses a natural additive that facilitates the breakdown of solid waste. When all the waste in the tank is liquefied it is then pumped into the Polson sewer system.

It presently costs S&K Marina $30 a month in service charge to use the city system. Burland said that by next summer the system will be metered and the city will be paid according to the meter read.

Construction of the system began last summer and once it's metered by next summer it will be complete.

"We are working the bugs out of the system, the season is winding down but we will push this service hard next year," Burland said.

For more information on S&K Marina, contact Tracy Burland at 883-1902.