People in Park City are concerned about the raw sewage that's been going into the water for nearly 20 years.
Stillwater County Commissioner-elect Roger Webb gave an update at Park City School on Thursday night.
Those living in Park City have had to deal with a water aquifer that has been polluted with raw sewage from a nearby apartment complex called the Homestead.
“The Homestead, we're trying to get it condemned,” said Molly Hixson, a Park City resident. “It has terrible water.”
Hickson first became aware of the problem when her husband got sick.
“Got him help and lots of expensive antibiotics and doctors appointments,” Hixson said. “He's good now, but how many other people are going to be getting sick?"
Webb asked for volunteers to join a class action lawsuit against the landlord of the Homestead.
The county has mapped out the contamination for more than 100 test results and determined the plume of pollution is heading southeast.
“We've tested the outer perimeters and we have elevated nitrates here, here and here, so that tells me that the water is moving (southeast),” said Webb.
More than two years ago, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) determined that nitrate levels had returned to maximum containment levels after reaching extremely high levels.
Webb says the DEQ has now reopened the case.
“Nitrates are ammonia levels and that tells you what is the ammonia level in your water,” Webb said. “And that's why you're able to trace it back to sewage, raw sewage.”
Others have also been concerned about unhealthy water, and one woman realized the water was bad with help from her dog.
“The very next day it was back again, and she had to have been able to smell it and was not drinking it,” said Carolyn Cook, Park City resident. “She was the smart one.”
Cook says she has to pay more than $60 to get her water tested.
Webb owns the U.S. Post Office building and has also had to put out more money to buy new equipment.
“We've gone to the expense of putting in (a reverse osmosis) system in there,” Webb said.
And now Webb and the others hope to get some help.
“I do believe that this will be taken care of hopefully in the near future because this has been going on for way too long,” Hixson said.
