The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has released a draft programmatic environmental assessment covering the construction and operation of subsurface wastewater treatment systems and is accepting public comment through May 1, 2026.
Subsurface wastewater treatment systems include a range of water treatment infrastructure, from conventional septic systems to advanced systems capable of meeting or exceeding drinking water standards. Rather than conducting separate environmental reviews for each individual project, DEQ has prepared a single programmatic assessment to cover qualifying systems statewide, on the basis that such systems tend to produce similar environmental impacts regardless of where they are located in Montana.
To qualify under the programmatic assessment, a proposed system must include fewer than 300 drainfields and disturb fewer than 10 acres of land. Systems with the potential to affect surface water or those requiring a Montana Ground Water Pollution Control System permit would not be eligible and would instead require a separate, project-specific environmental review.
If adopted, the programmatic assessment would eliminate the need for DEQ to prepare individual environmental assessments for each qualifying project, streamlining the review process while maintaining compliance with the Montana Environmental Policy Act. Applicants would still be required to submit all applicable DEQ applications, and the agency would continue to evaluate each proposal for compliance with state statutes, rules, and the impacts outlined in the programmatic document.
DEQ said the approach is consistent with MEPA’s provisions allowing agencies to use programmatic reviews for related or repetitive actions, and is intended to promote both efficient review and sound agency decision-making.
By DNU staff