Update: Legal Challenges to Lakeside - Somers Sewer District Expansion

Citizens for a Better Flathead (CBF) announced two major developments in its ongoing work to ensure transparency in local government and to defend Flathead Lake from water pollution threats.

The Montana Supreme Court recently acknowledged the constitutional importance of CBF’s appeal related to the Lakeside County Water and Sewer District (LCWSD). While the Court denied a procedural petition for a “writ of supervisory control,” it confirmed that CBF’s broader appeal will move forward to address key constitutional questions about the public’s Right to Know and Right to Participate in government decision-making. This appeal challenges whether LCWSD’s decisions were made without proper public disclosure or opportunity for input.

At the same time, CBF, together with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, is continuing a second lawsuit against the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). This case seeks to overturn a state permit that allows up to 900,000 gallons per day of treated wastewater to be discharged into a shallow aquifer near Ashley Creek and Flathead Lake. CBF argues that the permit relies on flawed science, violates Montana’s constitutional protections against new pollution, and risks contamination of the lake and its tributaries. Although the court declined to halt construction while the case proceeds, the lawsuit itself remains active.

CBF’s ongoing legal efforts underscore the urgent need to uphold science-based protections and transparent decision-making to safeguard Flathead Lake’s world-class water quality for future generations.