Three of the six local sewage treatment plants violated their permits last year.
A report released Aug. 15 by the nonprofit Idaho Conservation League found that 58% of Idaho’s wastewater treatment plants would not be in compliance with the federal Clean Water Act by 2023.
The violations included the Priest River, Kootenai-Ponderay and Sandpoint facilities.
Records from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s online Enforcement and Compliance History database show that pollutant limits were exceeded two, three and five times at the Priest River, Kootenai-Ponderay and Sandpoint plants, respectively.
The other three local plants – the Dover, Bonners Ferry and Moyie Springs wastewater treatment plants – had no permit violations in 2023.
Compliance with regulations by a wastewater treatment plant is assessed by testing a sample of the treated water leaving the plant.
Violations at local plants last year included excessive levels of E. coli and suspended solids, as well as failure to reduce biological oxygen demand, an indicator of organic matter levels.
Because wastewater treatment plants release treated water into the environment, these pollutants can be harmful to ecosystems.
Suspended sediment, small particles that affect water clarity, can create oxygen-depleted dead zones. Excess organic matter disrupts aquatic ecosystems and can contribute to algal blooms, both of which can affect the population and diversity of fish and other aquatic organisms.
Improperly treated wastewater also poses a potential danger to humans: the bacterium E. coli can sometimes cause serious illnesses in humans.
Sandpoint’s five violations were the 20th worst among Idaho’s 112 municipal facilities last year. The total was an increase from one and three violations in 2021 and 2022, respectively, and highlights the deficiencies of the decaying 64-year-old facility.
Upgrading the power plant is a priority for several elected officials in Sandpoint. The plant’s deficiencies were discussed at recent council meetings, and Mayor Jeremy Grimm called the project his top priority.
On August 7, the City Council voted to hire a civil engineering company to prepare a preliminary technical report for the power plant to inform the city of the size and scope of the construction work.
Still, a modernized power plant will likely be several years away and may come with some price shock. Grimm estimates that the cost of the modernization will exceed $50 million – and could ultimately amount to nearly $100 million.
Investments in wastewater treatment infrastructure not only reduce the risk of fines and penalties, they are also an essential part of the responsible use of natural resources.
Over time, improperly managed runoff can cause environmental damage, negatively impacting health, recreation and industry within and outside a community.
In a questionnaire published by the city in early 2020, 95% of respondents rated the importance of water quality to the community as 5/5 – a higher proportion than in the survey on air quality, wildlife, landscape or vegetation.
This result shows that Sandpoint residents surveyed place a particularly high priority on maintaining clean water, along with other conservation efforts.
According to the online Enforcement and Compliance History database, the Sandpoint wastewater treatment plant has violated its permit four times since the beginning of 2024.
Current trends suggest that, regardless of city government efforts, Sandpoint’s wastewater problem is unlikely to be resolved until the aging facility receives major upgrades in the coming years.
Until then, Sandpoint’s sewage problem may get worse before it gets better.
The Idaho Conservation League’s report is available on its website at bit.ly/3XdjAfZ. Detailed information on individual facilities can be found in the EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance History online database at echo.epa.gov.
From 2021 to 2023, local municipal wastewater treatment plants showed varying trends in compliance.