Buffalo Mountain Wastewater Treatment System

Buffalo Mountain is a new 150-lot single-family subdivision located on 490 acres approximately 2 miles west of Kalispell. Carver Engineering was hired to design the infrastructure of this subdivision and manage the construction. Water to the lots is provided by privately owned public water system and sewer service is provided by an privately owned and operated on-site public wastewater collection and treatment system.

The first phase of the wastewater collection and treatment system consists of roughly 4,100 L.F. of 4″ & 6″ HDPE gravity collection mains that convey only septic tank effluent; a duplex effluent lift station and 4″ HDPE force main; an 8-pod AdvanTex wastewater treatment system with a 30,000-gallon FRP recirculation tank; a 4.5 million gallon PVC-lined storage pond; an irrigation pump system with approximately 22.9 acres for spray irrigation. The AdvanTex treatment system is initially sized to handle wastewater flows for up to 77 lots. When the combined number of lots in future phases of Buffalo Mountain reach or exceed 77 lots (up to a possible 150), the treatment system capacity, including storage pond capacity, will be increased to accommodate the additional lots.

For this project, Carver Engineering was responsible for system design and approval by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ); construction management including inspection; preparation of as-built drawings; and final system certification and startup.