We also live upstream of someone else. While we have every right to expect that the water flowing into our drinking water systems is not polluted, we also have a responsibility to ensure our neighbors downstream have clean water.
But in Idaho, 57% of our sewer treatment plants are violating the pollution limits that are spelled out in their permits, impacting those who live downstream.
The Department of Environmental Quality allows others to operate outside of the limits for a period of time if it is deemed that there is no way they can meet those limits, in order to give the sewer facilities time to make necessary upgrades. The problems are typically due to aging sewer treatment systems that are not keeping pace with population growth or utilizing modern technology. Upgrades are huge, expensive, and daunting projects.
On the northern shore of Lake Pend Oreille, the Kootenai Ponderay Sewer District (KPSD) and the Sandpoint Wastewater Treatment Plant (SWTP) have struggled to protect water quality for decades. Our water quality testing shows the level of pollution directly downstream from KPSD’s discharge point is hundreds of times the level that is deemed protective of our right to have clean water that we can swim in and drink.
There are steps being taken to fix the problem. Due to their concerted efforts to secure funding that was available from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), KPSD now has $13 million to get started on much needed upgrades. They still need to raise about $18 million more, and are planning to ask voters to approve a bond for that. Please vote ‘yes’ when you see this on your ballot.
The City of Sandpoint is in a bit more of a bind, as they did not receive any funding from ARPA, but it is equally urgent that they upgrade their sewage treatment plant. In recent months, the e.coli in Sandpoint’s discharge is 149% over the limits set in their permit, as reported by the Environmental Protection Agency. The rusted interior of the sewer plant was built in the 1950s with used parts from Farragut Naval Base. We’ve heard multiple stories about plant operators using RV hoses to divert sewage from overflowing the tanks during periods of heavy rain.
ICL recently had the opportunity to talk with Sandpoint’s City Council about the problem and potential solutions. Mayor Jeremy Grimm said fixing the sewer system is his number one priority, and that he will get it done during his four-year term. While we certainly appreciate that Mayor Grimm has identified this as a top immediate issue, we want to make sure it actually gets done—these upgrades will cost a lot of money. Voters in Sandpoint can also expect to see an upcoming ballot measure to pay for sewer treatment upgrades.
It remains to be seen whether voters in Sandpoint will be asked to pay the full amount for these upgrades, or whether Sandpoint will choose to work with neighboring sewer treatment plants, putting their money together with others to build one larger state-of-the-art system, likely for a lower total cost than multiple individual systems. KPSD, the sewer system with funding readily available, is eager to explore the possibility.
Along with SWTP and KPSD, Schweitzer and Dover could be asked to join the collaboration. With the rapid growth at Schweitzer, the resort’s new owner Alterra is almost certainly looking for solutions that will ensure their wastewater capabilities are adequate to support their future vision. And Dover has already signaled an interest in collaboration, as they applied for and received an $80,000 grant that was earmarked for collaborating with Sandpoint on sewage treatment.
When you work together with your neighbors, your money goes farther, you have more fun, and can accomplish great things. By having an area-wide sewer treatment system, we can pool funds and install technology that purifies the discharge from almost 100% of the pollution— including pharmaceuticals and persistent chemicals like PFAS. What’s more, new available ‘carbon-negative’ technology can actually reduce our carbon emissions into the atmosphere, rather than creating more in the process. This option sounds like a win-win to us. When sewer dischargers pursue innovative solutions together, and follow the rules and regulations for public safety, no-one gets stuck downstream.