Missoula City-County Health Department

(406) 258-4755

Environmental Health Regulations

Proposed Health Code Changes:

The Missoula City-County Health Department is proposing to update the Missoula City-County Health Code.  Members of the public are invited and encouraged to participate in this process by learning more about why changes are necessary and making comments on the draft regulations. 

-Health Code Draft Changes (PDF)

-Regulation 1 (Wastewater Treatment and Disposal) Draft Changes including changes in response to public comment 10-09-09 (MOST CURRENT) (PDF)

-Regulation 1 Draft Changes without Appendicies 08-21-09 (PDF)

-Regulation 1 Draft Changes with Appendicies 08-21-09 (PDF)

-Regulation 5 (Drinking Water Well Protection) Draft Changes (PDF)

 Why updated/new regulations? An update to the Health Code is necessary as the last major update occurred in 2004, and the last minor update occurred in 2007.  As with any regulatory document, changes are periodically required as situations arise that do not fit within current rules, and language changes are needed to clarify sections of the rules.  Moreover, updates are needed to ensure certain components of the regulations remain relevant and practical to implement.

 

The public is invited to attend the Health Board meeting
Thursday, October 15, 2009

2nd Floor Conference Room
Missoula City-County Health Department
301 W Alder
Missoula MT  59802

 

For Questions, please contact Erik Englebert at 258-4755.

 A brief summary of the changes to Regulation 1 are below: 

• Class II & Class I certifications being changed to ‘Basic’ and ‘Advanced’
• Making it explicit that maintenance and investigative activities do not require a permit
• Test pipe to be placed in soil test hole, even if groundwater testing is not required
• Sealed transport lines may stay in floodplain/floodprone areas
• No self inspections for alternative/experimental systems
• Required ‘as builts’ must be submitted by owner within 15 business days
• Tanks in groundwater need to be water tested or certified water tight
• No pressure dosing, if pumping, must use pressure distribution
• All laterals (pressure and gravity) must be marked with galv cap or rebar
• Pressure laterals must have either long sweep 90 or single 45
• Pressure required for replacements in fill
• May require better systems in situations where replacement can’t meet all normal requirements
• ‘grandfathered’ systems are now explicitly allowed
• Abandoned tanks need to be filled with sand/gravel/etc,  broken and filled , or removed
• Perc test (or other approved test) for impervious layer must be done at depth of suspected impervious layer
• All new individual systems serving lots in subdivisions submitted after 12-31-09 must remain on same lot as building served
• Maximum land application rates:
  • New lots must conform to 700g/usable acre/day
  • All parcels within a given project may be considered for this requirement
  • Existing lots not being reviewed for subdivision need only demonstrate adequate room for both drainfield and replacement. 
• Slopes over 25% may be considered usable acreage for maximum land application rates
• New divisions of land in MWTPSA must provide easements to lots (if necessary) to facilitate connection to sewer when available
• Design of dry laid systems in MWTPSA must conform to City Engineering standards

 

Public comments received at Board Hearing held September 17th, 2009

• G. Martinson

• J. Rice

• K. Slovarp

Department's Response to Public Comments

 

 

---

Please note some documents are in "Portable Document Format" and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.   If you do not have this viewer, visit Adobe.com.

Site Navigation

Health Divisions

More Information: