After a steady stream of setbacks, the Clancy Water & Sewer District’s quest for clean water hit yet another potential snag last week – but this appears to be a minor regulatory hurdle rather than a major technical one.
At its Jan. 28 meeting, the district board unanimously approved a contract amendment with Great West Engineering to move forward with drilling two production wells at the successfully tested site on the property of Steve Marks.
Meanwhile, the Helena-based engineering firm is working to address a concern that could have complicated the project: a cut in the ground from historical placer mining operations near the well site that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) fears could contaminate the water supply.
The man-made feature, which lies near a culvert, resembles a ditch and cuts through the required 100-foot isolation zone around the planned well, meaning that it necessitates a deviation request. DEQ’s concern is that the feature could allow surface water to pool and potentially affect groundwater quality, according to Jesse Novak, municipal project engineer at Great West.
“It’s just to protect water quality for community use,” he said.
Before submitting its well plans, Great West contacted DEQ to discuss the ditch, which doesn’t appear on floodplain maps. Locals say it doesn’t hold water near the well site, according to Novak. The lack of sedimentation at the culvert’s inlet and outlet suggests it only sees water during extreme storm events, Novak said.
On Jan. 29, Great West submitted to DEQ its deviation request demonstrating the protective measures it plans to take to ensure the ditch cannot impact water quality. For Novak, such requests are common; most of the projects he’s worked on have had at least one.
“You’re just stating that you’re aware of what the standard is, but that what you’re going to do goes above and beyond that standard to make sure it’s safer,” said Novak.
Those protective measures include grouting the well 45 feet deep into bedrock – which Novak said isn’t required for every well but is more expensive and safer – and keeping the well casing unperforated to at least 180 feet. “The deeper you go, the less chance of surface contamination you have,” he said.
Once DEQ completes its review – which the agency says typically takes 30 days – it will either approve the deviation, deny it or request additional information. Once approved, Great West plans to submit full design plans and specifications for DEQ review.
If all goes accordingly, Great West hopes to put the project out for public bidding in March, with a contractor expected to begin construction by April or May. The timeline is driven by a hard June 30 deadline to spend American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) infrastructure funds that were extended twice – first from last fall to December 2025, then to June after the district applied for another extension.
“DNRC asked Great West to split the project into two phases in the application to extend [the funds],” board president Lori Gilliland wrote in an email.
Phase 1 involves drilling two production wells and stub-out piping for future connection. Phase 2 involves construction of the well house, where the water will receive chlorine treatment, along with controls and backup power.
The total budget will be determined when the designs are complete, but Novak expects users’ monthly rates to be $98 to $110 once the system is operational.
State standards require two wells for public systems, ensuring a backup source if one fails. The production wells will be drilled within 50 feet of the successful test well on Marks’ property and reach a depth of about 300 feet.
“You design production wells for long-term use and test wells differently,” Novak said. “Oftentimes it’s easier to drill close by wells once you know you have a good source.”
That good source came after numerous failed attempts over a decade to find water with acceptable quality and sufficient quantity. Previous test wells on the Marks property found elevated radionuclides from naturally occurring uranium in the Boulder Batholith. Other locations failed to provide adequate water.
Still, significant obstacles remain. Gilliland expects the required transfer of water rights to take “probably longer” than a year.
The board is still negotiating with Marks about whether to obtain an easement for the well site or purchase the property outright, with a decision expected at the next board meeting, Feb. 25. Despite the remaining challenges, officials are cautiously optimistic.
“Hopeful, exciting,” Novak said when asked how he felt about finally having a viable well. “We have what we feel like is a very high quality well. We’re excited to be in the process of providing clean, safe water to the district.”
For Clancy residents who have long struggled with water supply issues, the timeline for clean water remains unclear. Even if drilling is completed by Jun. 30, Phase 2 construction still lies ahead. Then there’s the water rights.
“I can’t say exactly how long it will take,” said Gilliland. “We have not given up yet.”
