KALISPELL – Attorney’s for the Montana Artesian Water Company says they can be ready to begin distributing their bottled water very soon.
The announcement comes after the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation upheld a decision to grant the company to open a controversial water-bottling plant in the Flathead Valley.
"The line that’s been [there] and the equipment that has been out there on site is ready to be assembled [and] by the middle of February that line should be fully assembled and be ready to go into production, so I would think within the next 30 to 60 days he should have product ready to market and sell," consultant Darryl James said.
The company has been working for more than two years to get state approval for the plant which would draw water underneath a slough area along the Flathead River near Creston.
The DNRC announced its findings in the case on Friday, saying it would uphold the decision to grant Montana Artesian its permit, citing the company was able to prove that the operation won’t degrade area water quality.
Opponents of the plant say they now plan to take their case to court.
"The position the DNRC [has] finally taken has been disappointing for sure, but it wasn’t unexpected," said Water for Flathead’s Future vice chair Steve Harvey.
"We always knew that they were going to try to stick to their previous thoughts on this and we always have known that we will be vindicated in District Court."
Opponents have 30 days to petition the courts to hear any appeal.
Click here to view the DNRC ruling.

KALISPELL – Attorney’s for the Montana Artesian Water Company says they can be ready to begin distributing their bottled water very soon. The announcement comes after the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation upheld a decision to grant the company to open a controversial water-bottling plant in the Flathead Valley. “The line that’s been [there] and the equipment that has been out there on site is ready to be assembled [and] by the middle of February that line should be fully assembled and be ready to go into production, so I would think within the next 30…

A charity announced Monday Jan. 29, 2018, it is organizing a nationwide collection of bottled water for stockpiling in military bases in and around the tourist city which might have to turn off most taps in April because of a prolonged drought.
(AP Photo) JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Officials in Cape Town on Monday tried to allay international concerns about the water crisis in the South African city, saying tourists and investors are welcome despite fears that most taps could be turned off in April because of drought.
In a "two-way conversation," some diplomats who met officials managing Cape Town’s crisis referred to water shortages in their own countries, including in Barcelona, Spain and the U.S. state of California, said Tim Harris, CEO of Wesgro, an agency that promotes tourism and trade in Western Cape province.
"I think a lot of cities are going to go through challenges like this," Harris said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press after the meeting.
Rival political factions are arguing over alleged failures to prepare for the crisis.
Western Cape province includes Cape Town, where municipal authorities say they will have to close most taps on what they call "Day Zero," slated for April 12, if residents don’t save enough water.
A South African charity said it was organizing a nationwide collection of bottled water for stockpiling in military bases in and around the city of 4 million people.
The goal, he said, was to deal with the "unintended consequences" of the city’s blunt warnings to residents.
"When you start talking ‘Day Zero’ to an international audience, you get quite a different reaction," he said.
International tourists make up only 1 percent of Cape Town’s population during peak season, but they support more than 300,000 jobs, according to the Wesgro agency.

In this photo taken Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, people queue for water at a natural spring in Cape Town, South Africa. A charity announced Monday Jan. 29, 2018, it is organizing a nationwide collection of bottled water for stockpiling in military bases in and around the tourist city which might have to turn off most taps in April because of a prolonged drought. (AP Photo) JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Officials in Cape Town on Monday tried to allay international concerns about the water crisis in the South African city, saying tourists and investors are welcome despite fears that most taps could be turned off in April because of drought. In a “two-way conversation,” some diplomats who met officials managing Cape Town’s crisis referred to water shortages in their own countries, including in Barcelona, Spain and the U.S. state of California, said Tim Harris, CEO of Wesgro, an agency that promotes tourism and trade in Western Cape province. “I think a lot of cities are going to go through challenges like this,” Harris said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press after…

ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images Two restaurants in Belgium have been accused of selling tap water inside mineral water bottles to its customers.
The two bistros are being sued by the Belgian mineral water brand ‘Val’ who made the discovery with investigators after analysing the bottled water sold at the two food places in Brussels, according to a Guardian report.
The restaurants have been blamed for filling tap water inside Val bottles, an award-winning company that claims its selling point is in the purification process in the ‘Landenian sand layer of the region’s subsoil’, the report said.
The officials at the mineral water company became doubtful about the restaurants not ordering enough bottles despite an agreement they signed in 2008.
Albeit finding traces of tap water inside the bottles, they were still unsure about the fraud.
As per reports in a Belgian daily newspaper, L’Echo, the waiter of the restaurant told the bailiff that they the generally offered the customers an option of mineral water and tap water.
However, soon after the legal complaint which said that the bottles were filled with tap water, the waiter withdrew his previous statement.
The is not the first time that such an incident has come to light.
The brand was accused of using tap water despite its tag-line which said: "as pure as bottled water gets".
However, Coca-Cola said that it had undergone filtration processes before selling the water bottles.

ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images Two restaurants in Belgium have been accused of selling tap water inside mineral water bottles to its customers. The two bistros are being sued by the Belgian mineral water brand ‘Val’ who made the discovery with investigators after analysing the bottled water sold at the two food places in Brussels, according to a Guardian report. The restaurants have been blamed for filling tap water inside Val bottles, an award-winning company that claims its selling point is in the purification process in the ‘Landenian sand layer of the region’s subsoil’, the report said. The two unnamed restaurants were sued by the mineral water producer, Haacht brewery. The officials at the mineral water company became doubtful about the restaurants not ordering enough bottles despite an…

A chlorine booster failure at the plant, which serves over 65,000 people, means that adequate chlorine may not have been reached in order to ensure that the water is safe to drink.
Irish Water and Wicklow County Council released the boil water notice today at 3pm, following advice from the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The areas affected are: Ashford, Newcastle including Newcastle Hospital., Newtownmountkennedy, Kilcoole, Kilquade, Kilpedder, Kilmacanogue including Glenview Hotel/Kilmurray Cottages, Greystones, Cookstown Road, Fassaroe/Berryfield Lane, Kilcroney, Delgany and Bray.
Make ice from cooled boiled water.
Domestic water filters will not render water safe to drink Caution should be taken when bathing children to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water Prepare infant feeds with water that has been brought to the boil once and cooled.
If bottled water is used for the preparation of infant feeds it should be boiled once and cooled.
If you are using bottled water for preparing baby food, be aware that some natural mineral water may have high sodium content.
Check the label on the bottled water to make sure the sodium or `Na’ is not greater than 200mg per litre.
"In the meantime, all customers of this supply are advised to boil water before use until further notice.
"We will continue to work closely with Wicklow County Council, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown and Dublin City Council who run the plant on behalf of Irish Water and the HSE to monitor the supply and lift the notice as quickly as possible.

Some 65,000 people have been affected A boil water notice has been issued for numerous areas in Dublin and Wicklow following a mechanical error at the Vartry Water Treatment Plant. A chlorine booster failure at the plant, which serves over 65,000 people, means that adequate chlorine may not have been reached in order to ensure that the water is safe to drink. Irish Water and Wicklow County Council released the boil water notice today at 3pm, following advice from the Health Service Executive (HSE). The areas affected are: Ashford, Newcastle including Newcastle Hospital., Newtownmountkennedy, Kilcoole, Kilquade, Kilpedder, Kilmacanogue including Glenview Hotel/Kilmurray Cottages, Greystones, Cookstown Road, Fassaroe/Berryfield Lane, Kilcroney, Delgany and Bray. There are also rural areas between Callowhill and Cronroe which are affected including: Killiskey, Nuns Cross, Coynes Cross, Prospect, Mount John, Timmore Lane, Dunran. The following areas in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown are also included: Corke Abbey, Woodbrook Glen, Old Connaught Avenue, Thornhill Road, Ballyman Road, Ferndale Road from its junction with Old Connaught Avenue to Allies River Road, The Dublin Road from the junction of Old Connaught Avenue to Allies River Road, and all areas off these roads. Water must be boiled for: Drinking Drinks made with water Preparation of salads and similar foods, which are not cooked prior to eating Brushing of teeth Making of…

Late Monday morning Swan River Deputy Mayor Lance Jacobson provided an update to CTV News.
Sunday the town, about 500 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg declared a local state of emergency and issues a notice saying a total loss of water was imminent.
Around 4,000 people live in the community.
READ MORE: Low water supply in Swan River prompts local state of emergency Jacobson said the reason the reservoir must be full before repairs can begin is because once the contractors start repairs, won’t be treated for drinking.
The Town of Swan River is asking people to conserve water as much as possible and is commending residents for their cooperation up until now.
Schools in the community remain closed.
“From a patient care perspective, the Swan Valley Health Centre remains functional although the region will review treatment options for some high-need patients including those scheduled to receive hemodialysis in the next few days.
PMH said there are currently 44 patients admitted at the Swan Valley Health Centre in Swan River, the only hospital in the community.
Personal Care Homes are using bottled water where necessary and have advised residents and families of the water conservation efforts that are now underway.” PMH said it continues to assess and proactively plan for impacts to all of its health care services and programs within Swan River as a result of the community’s water supply issue.
“We are working closely with the Town of Swan River and apprising the province’s Office of Disaster Management regarding our latest status updates and community action plans.” PMH said it’s working to conserve water.

Chemours has told state officials that it wants to install water filter systems at some homes where a potentially cancer-causing compound has been discovered in private wells.
[File photo/The Fayetteville Observer] Staff writer @WriterDeVane ​The company that makes a potentially cancer-causing compound that has been discovered in private wells near its Bladen County plants wants to install water filter systems at residences served by those wells, state records show.
The state has been investigating GenX since news broke in June that researchers had discovered it in the Cape Fear River in 2016.
Chemours has since agreed to stop discharging the compound into the river, but the chemical also has been found in more than 250 private wells around the plant, including more than 120 at levels above what the state’s Department of Health and Human Services considers safe.
State officials said in late November that the company was testing a water filter system at a home near the plant.
Scott’s letter to Chemours didn’t have details about the system or say on how many homes the company wanted to install it.
The letter said Chemours sent the state information on its plans Jan. 11.
The company indicated that it wanted to start installing the filter systems on Jan. 22, according to the letter.
Scott said in the letter that state officials “strongly recommend” not implementing the plan or notifying residents about it until the Department of Environmental Quality approves the proposal, which he said would not happen by Jan. 22.
He recommends in the letter that the company start with a pilot program on four residences for at least three months while continuing to provide bottled water to the families with the filter systems.