Meeting set to discuss North Havre sewer line planning

A meeting is set for Wednesday night to talk about the next stages in planning work on a sewer line from North Havre.

"It's just to keep everybody informed on what the engineer is finding, " said Michelle Turville. director of infrastructure development for Bear Paw Development Corp.

Great West Engineering of Helena is conducting a study of the sewer system in North Havre, with a particular focus on an exposed 60-year-old sewer line running from the community under the Milk River to the Havre wastewater treatment plant.

Apparently the line has become exposed as soil has washed away over the years, and one purpose of the engineering study is to find the best way to repair the problem. The line apparently was put in place in the 1950s, and replaced in the 1970s.

The study also will examine the entire sewer system, looking for any other issues or problems that could be worked on.

The system covers two rural special improvement districts in the unincorporated community, RSID 11 and RSID 21.

Hill County budgeted up to $30,000 for the study, using a $15,000 Treasure State Endowment Program grant with the county and the RSID's splitting the required $15,000 match.

Turville said one point of the meeting will be for the engineer to collect input on where to go with the study. Now that more information is available, the direction of the preliminary engineering report can be adjusted, she said.

"(The engineers) are going to talk to (residents) about it and figure out what our next steps are, " she said.

At a meeting in November, an ad hoc committee of North Havre residents was set up to keep residents informed of the issue, collect information and recruit additional members for their own committee.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p. m. Wednesday at the Bear Paw Development meeting room in the Ryan Building on 2nd Avenue and Main Street.

The engineers also will meet with the county commissioners and other county officials Wednesday afternoon to update them on the situation.