Ordinance updating protections for Missoula's aquifer
The Water Quality Ordinance updates were approved by the Missoula County commissioners and City Council by early June.
The Water Quality Ordinance updates were approved by the Missoula County commissioners and City Council by early June.
Missoula Public Health is proposing changes to the Missoula Valley Water Quality Ordinance to make the code easier for the public to follow while bolstering pollution prevention and better protecting the aquifer that is the sole source of the community’s drinking water supply.
The proposed changes to Title 13.26 Missoula Municipal Code include requiring and incorporating best management practices for industries and activities the current code does not address so it can help stop pollution before it occurs. Public Health aims to accomplish this by splitting the current code into two interdependent documents.
The first document would include the municipal code that prohibits the act of causing pollution, outlines the permitting and enforcement processes, and establishes the authority for adopting an administrative rule. The second document would be a best management practices manual. This document would provide descriptions of basic operational and equipment standards specific to activities and industries to help them not cause pollution. Best management practice manuals are common in other water quality protection agencies across the country.
Examples of best management practices featured in the current draft include:
- placing drip pans under leaking vehicles
- designing fueling pads to capture fuel spills
- storing street sweepings so precipitation does not wash them into storm drains
- proper disposal practices for carpet cleaning or car wash water
- storing manure in a location that prevents rain from washing it into a river or storm drain
- techniques for cleaning up restaurant grease spills in alleys
- proper disposal of concrete dust and other construction-related waste
Staff have presented revisions to the Water Quality Board and the Board of County Commissioners and will present them to the City Council at 6 p.m. Monday, June 6, for consideration at an upcoming meeting. In the meantime, we want to hear from you! Take a look at the drafted changes and Best Management Practices Manual and provide any comments or ask questions you may have.
Share your thoughts on the proposed water quality ordinance update.
The Water Quality Ordinance updates were approved by the Missoula County commissioners and City Council by early June.
CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.
Who's Listening
-
Phone 406-258-3109 Email tseib@missoulacounty.us -
Phone 406-258-3495 Email eevans@missoulacounty.us
We (Phillips 66) are in favor of the proposed changes, and greatly appreciate the MCCHD's willingness to listen to and evaluate the validity of comments provided by Industry during this process. Specifically, the MCCHD's willingness to align with Industry Standard (API 653 Inspection Criteria, 20-year interval vs 10-year interval, as adopted in Section 2.0 of the BMP Manual) will reduce total VOC and benzene emissions associated with degassing of large capacity tanks associated with the completion of internal inspections; without reducing Industry accepted safeguards for evaluating the internal integrity of large capacity tanks.
We appreciate the MCCHD's efforts.