Cindy Murray, general manager of the Evergreen Water and Sewer District, admits new wells aren’t the most exciting of topics.  

But her eyes were shining with excitement on a recent tour of the district’s oldest and newest wellhouses.  

“I'm really, really proud of the progress that we've made,” Murray said. “But I'm also really conscious and committed to the challenge that we still have. And we are not done.” 

In late June, the district held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of a brand new wellhouse, featuring two new, state-of-the-art well pumps and capacity for a third. These wells run 420 feet deep and are in a wellhouse located at 160 W. Reserve Dr. in Evergreen.

When Murray started at the district in 2018, one of her biggest priorities was to replace the district’s two oldest well pumps. The pumps are located within 500 feet of two Superfund sites and housed in a 100-year flood plain behind the district’s old office building.  

In 2022, the water shop housing one of the pumps was inundated with flood water, and it was shut down by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality in 2024.  

The $4.6 million wellhouse project is nearly complete after six years of construction, and the new pumps are almost ready to go online. The wells can pump a combined 3,250 gallons of water per minute, whereas the two old wells pumped a combined 2,400 gallons per minute.   

When the second old well goes offline, the district will add the third pump, Murray said.  

The smell of paint was still fresh as Assistant General Manager Mark James walked inside the brand-new wellhouse facility. 

This is by far the nicest facility James has seen in his 26-year career with the district. He even had the opportunity to add his own input to the design plan, such as a wall to separate the monitoring computers and a crane and pulley system to move the “extremely heavy” diameter pipe. 

During the pandemic, Evergreen was awarded America Rescue Plan Act funds from Flathead County. This money helped expedite four renovation projects, including the new well pumps, and lower the burden of cost on district rate payers.  

“That was absolute lifeblood for us,” Murray said. 

With the federal money, the district was able to update its software system, improve three sewer lift stations and renovate its two water tanks that hold a combined 2.6 million gallons of water, in addition to the new wellhouse project.  

“We've had to fundamentally transform the way we do business here, with both our systems and our people,” Murray said. “And that has been a really exciting process.” 

There are still several more projects the district plans to pursue to improve its sewer and water system. Total costs of the projects are $21.9 million, and nearly 60% of it is planned to be funded through grant money.  

AS A standalone governmental entity, the Evergreen Water and Sewer District works as a nonprofit organization. It is the largest combined water and sewer district in the state, serving a population of approximately 8,500 with a service area of about 8 square miles. 

The district has $32 million in assets and $6 million in long-term debt. It has an annual operating budget of $3.7 million, with $1 million in its cash reserves.  

The community itself is traditionally a low-income area, Murray said.  

“Here we are, with this challenge to grow and improve our systems and do it without increasing our rates a horrendous amount,” Murray said. “And we've had some pretty significant rate increases over the years, because we've had to do it in order to make these improvements.” 

In May, the district increased its water rates by 35% and sewer rates by 15%. While it continues to have the second lowest water rate in Flathead Valley, Evergreen’s sewer rates are currently the second highest in the county.  

Murray noted that the sewer rates are controlled by Kalispell, not the district, since the city treats Evergreen’s wastewater. Kalispell sets the boundaries of the district’s sewer system, and the city won’t let it grow its service area. 

“We can't grow with more customers in a way that would allow us to spread out our costs,” Murray said.  

The district is currently studying the possibility of building its own wastewater treatment plant as a way to control costs. 

The district is partnered with Flathead Electric Cooperative, and both Murray and James praised the electric company as a valuable supporter. They’re currently working with the company on several programs that focus on energy efficiency.  

"We're joined at the hip with Flathead Electric,” Murray said. “We're trying to tap into some of those opportunities to save money with Flathead Electric and get rebates.” 

To help low-income customers, the district initiated a customer assistance program with its last rate increase. Funding for the program was supplied through a large rebate from the Bonneville Power Administration.  

“We can't fund it through our regular rates, so we have to find special funding sources,” Murray said. “It’s always a challenge.” 

Federal funding was made available during the pandemic to help customers pay bills, but that money has long since dried up. Murray said the district is already looking for funding to keep the assistance program going, but sources are limited. 

“This is a tough time to be looking for grant money,” Murray said. “A lot of those federal programs went away.” 

Reporter Hannah Shields may be reached at 406-758-4439 or [email protected].