New report finds more than half of Idaho wastewater treatment plants violated Clean Water Act

Clark Corbin, Idaho Capital Sun

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — More than half of Idaho’s wastewater curen plants violated Clean Water Act contamination discharge limits astatine slightest erstwhile past year, while immoderate plants routinely violated limits for years, according to a caller study by nan Idaho Conservation League.

The report, “The seventh yearly Idaho Wastewater Treatment Plant Report: Municipal Sewage Treatment Plants successful Idaho Failing to Meet Clean Water Act Standards,” recovered 458 violations successful Idaho sewer curen plants successful 2023.

Eleven of nan state’s 123 wastewater curen plants were responsible for astir of nan violations, astir 63%, according to nan report. The study besides said only a mini number of violations consequence successful penalties.

“We request to beryllium holding much of these polluters accountable,” nan Idaho Conservation League wrote successful nan report. “If not, we consequence mediocre h2o quality, detrimental impacts to aquatic life and quality wellness concerns.”

Where did nan information travel from for nan Idaho Conservation League’s study?

In a telephone interview, Idaho Conservation League conservation subordinate Will Tiedemann, nan writer of nan report, said violating Clean Water Act limits tin beryllium harmful to h2o value and is against nan law.

Tiedemann said he gathered information for nan study from nationalist records of violations successful Idaho from nan United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online website, which is often referred to arsenic ECHO. The information comes from h2o samples nan accommodation taxable to nan EPA arsenic portion of monitoring requirements.

The study identified violations for discharge limits for ammonia, E. coli, phosphorus, nitrogen and more.

The study recovered that wastewater curen plants successful 3 mini communities accounted for 32% – aliases astir 1 3rd – of each violations successful nan state.

• City of Driggs: 54 violations successful 2023, including for discharging ammonia successful usurpation of ineligible limits successful 2022 and 2023. Driggs’ installation discharges to a tributary of nan Teton River, according to nan report.
• City of Preston: 51 violations successful 2023, including weekly, monthly and yearly violations of pollutant limits, chiefly for ammonia and nitrogen. Preston’s installation discharges to Worm Creek, a tributary of nan Cub River, according to nan report.
• City of Parma: 43 violations successful 2023. According to nan report, nan metropolis of Parma has agreed to a colony pinch nan Idaho Department of Environmental Quality that assessed a $66,900 punishment for 92 violations making love to 2018. According to nan report, Parma’s installation discharges to Sand Hollow Creek, which enters nan Snake River astir 5 miles downstream.

Efforts to scope officials pinch nan cities of Parma and Preston were unsuccessful.

Tiedemann said nan study highlights nan value of cleanable h2o successful Idaho and nan Idaho Conservation League’s halfway values of protecting air, water, onshore and wildlife.

High levels of ammonia successful h2o tin termination aquatic organisms and person a cascading effect connected bodies of water, Tiedemann said. E. coli recovered successful animal and quality discarded tin origin superior wounded aliases death, while phosphorus and nitrogen tin origin excessive algae growth, which tin deplete oxygen successful waterways. Water pinch toxic algae maturation tin beryllium hazardous aliases fatal for animals to drink.

Tiedemann hopes group will look up really their organization performed successful nan study and return action by demanding clean, safe h2o and plans to amended violations.

Officials successful 1 Idaho organization pinch galore Clean Water Act violations plans to creation a caller plant

Officials successful Driggs are responding to nan violations by taking connected a semipermanent task of designing a caller wastewater curen plant.

“We are alert of those reports, and we are moving pinch nan Department of Justice and nan EPA and we are successful nan mediate of designing a caller plant,” Driggs Mayor August Christensen said successful a telephone interview.

Located successful nan protector of nan Teton Range successful eastbound Idaho, Driggs had a organization of 1,984 group successful nan 2020 Census.

Christensen did not yet person immoderate accusation astir a timeline aliases costs of nan project.

Wastewater sewer curen plants are among respective infrastructure needs piling up crossed nan state, according to a study from nan nonprofit statement Lift Local Idaho. The study identified $4.7 cardinal successful infrastructure needs crossed nan authorities betwixt wastewater, roadworthy and bridge, water, airport, nationalist transportation, power and cybersecurity projects. The study identified $1.4 cardinal successful wastewater infrastructure demands successful 84 projects crossed nan authorities – including an estimated $30 cardinal for a wastewater task successful Driggs.

Officials pinch nan Association of Idaho Cities and Clearwater Financial gathered information for nan Lift Local Idaho infrastructure study utilizing surveys that represented 149 Idaho cities. Lift Local Idaho supports a section action income taxation for backing section projects.

The Idaho Conservation League’s study praised efforts successful Driggs to make semipermanent improvements.

“We are encouraged by nan coagulated advancement nan City of Driggs has made to reside nan longstanding issues pinch their (wastewater curen plant),” nan study states. “For astir mini towns successful Idaho, constructing caller a (wastewater curen plant) is simply a important situation that requires sizeable resources that tin strain municipal budgets and staffing.”

Report besides highlighted agleam spots among sewer curen plants

It wasn’t each bad news, however. The study recovered that 47 Idaho cities aliases towns had zero wastewater curen works violations successful 2023. Communities including American Falls, Caldwell, Burley, Lewiston, McCall, Nampa, New Plymouth, Rigby, Weiser and others had zero violations successful 2022 aliases 2023.

Other communities, for illustration Melba, Jerome, Kune, Nez Perce, Mullan, Smelterville and Craigmont were highlighted for reducing nan number of violations and nan wide advancement those communities made.