From the ‘What the Hell’ and ‘Another Reason to Love the Yellowstone Club’ files –
Via a story posted tonight on Explore Big Sky –
Big Sky (3/3/16) – On Thursday afternoon a storage pond spill was reported to local and state agencies. The spill is of highly treated reclaimed water and it does not threaten human health. The discharge is below human health standards.
The reclaimed water is leaking from a storage pond. Unrestricted flow is proceeding down the hillside into Second Yellow Mule Creek and then to the South Fork of the West Fork of the Gallatin River.
The source of the break is being investigated and it is currently still flowing. The outlet pipe flows to the Yellowstone Club golf course and irrigation of the turf grass is authorized in summer months. In the winter this is an effluent storage pond. Most of the effluent comes from the Big Sky Sewer District, with a small portion coming from the waste water treatment facility used at Yellowstone Club.
The combined water is highly treated wastewater, and the expected total nitrogen content of about 7-8 mg/L is below the human health standard of 10 mg/L as nitrate. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is below 10 mg/L.
There is an estimated discharge of 35 million gallons, based on the volume of the storage pond. About 4 to 5 feet of water will remain in the lined pond once it fully discharges.
Pretty interesting vid of the Ousel effluent linked here.
More to come when there’s some daylight, and wondering if that 35 million gallon release number is correct?
