Public Notice: Opportunity to Comment on Draft Permit for the Charlo Wastewater Treatment Facility in Montana
Summary
The EPA intends to issue a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit under the authority of Section 402 of the Clean Water Act.
Activity
Discharge of treated municipal wastewater from the Charlo Wastewater Treatment Facility lagoons (WWTF) through one outfall to an unnamed tributary of Dublin Gulch. The Charlo WWTF is a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) located along Highway 212 approximately a half mile south of Charlo, in Lake County, Montana within the Flathead Reservation. Outfall 001 is located at approximately latitude 47.4293° N, longitude 114.1767° W. Authorization for discharge is limited to the outfall specifically listed in the permit. The facility plans to remove sewage sludge in this permit term by drying it onsite and hauling it to a nearby landfill.
Public Comments
The public comment period ends 30 calendar days after the date of publication of this notice. Any interested person may submit written comments on the draft permit. Comments should be directed to Erik Makus at makus.erik@epa.gov using subject line “MT-0022551 Public Comment”. If you are unable to adequately address comments via email, please reach out to Mr. Makus at (406) 457-5017 to discuss alternative arrangements. All comments received prior to the end of the comment period will be considered in the formulation of any final permit determination and will be part of the administrative record. Any interested person may request a public hearing and the EPA will hold a hearing if the response to this notice indicates significant public interest. The EPA is also requesting comments on the possible adverse effects of reissuing the permit on historic properties and/or cultural resources in the area.
Permit Availability
The draft permit and the statement of basis for the draft permit are available below. The full administrative record – including all data submitted by the applicant – is available upon request for public inspection. For further information, please reach out to Mr. Makus at the contact information above.
Notification and details of any public comment period extension will be posted here. Interested parties on our email list will also be notified by email. If you wish to be added to our email list, there is a link to subscribe at About Region 8's NPDES Permit Program.
This draft permit was public noticed on the EPA's website on October 17, 2025.
Permittee
Jamie Bauer, Secretary
Consolidated Charlo - Lake County Water & Sewer District
PO Box 62
Charlo, MT 59824