New Butte water treatment plant uses innovative system

BUTTE (AP) – Butte is opening a water treatment plant that uses a filtration system used in Asia and Europe.

When complete in December 2016, Butte will be the first municipality in the nation to treat its drinking water with this system.

The two-story plant will filter drinking water from the Basin Creek Reservoir. About 40 percent of Butte’s annual water supply comes from Basin Creek.

The Japanese and European-inspired treatment plant is a ceramic membrane plant. It will use a pressurized system to push the water through the membranes and take pumping out of the equation.

Butte officials say it will ultimately save them money.