Our Public Agencies Must Work Together

Cooperative, long-range planning solved and funded Spokane’s north-south traffic problem. Now, the metropolitan area must find a way to treat its sewage. Once again, government agencies need to work together and look far into the future.

That’s easier said than done. For decades, county and city government have bickered over growth and the tax base it provides.

The county allowed growth on the cheap, approving unincorporated housing tracts whose septic tanks drain sewage into our underground drinking water supply.

Reluctantly, lacking funds, the county agreed to sewer the Valley - and looked to the city for help. Since city residents drink aquifer water, it seemed wise for the city to cooperate.

The city pledged to the county a big chunk of the capacity at its sewage treatment plant - 10 million gallons a day.

That’s not enough. It’s not enough for the county’s long-term growth plans. And, the treatment capacity that remains for the city’s use is not enough for the city’s long-term growth plans.

What are we going to do about it?

For many years, Spokane argued to a standstill over north-south traffic congestion. But then, the state Transportation Department helped our region come up with two plans. One, for the short term and the other, for the long term. Result: Division Street is widened. The North-South freeway is on its way to reality.

The city and the county have to sit down, immediately, and start work on short-term and long-term solutions to the sewage treatment problem. It takes roughly 10 years to plan and build a treatment plant. Projections show our metropolitan area may run out of treatment capacity by 2015.

In facilitating a solution, the state Department of Ecology ought to be as constructive as the state Department of Transportation was. Last month, however, Ecology threatened to terminate a state grant that is helping to sewer the Valley and upgrade the city’s sewage plant. Ecology officials were annoyed by the city’s desire to reserve the future capacity of its plant for the city’s needs alone - a stance inspired by the state Growth Management Act, which prefers that growth occur in incorporated areas.

There has got to be a reasonable solution. If the county does finish sewering the Valley and uses all of its assigned capacity at the city sewage plant, the city might be able to provide the county with more capacity. It depends on how much the plant’s capacity can be expanded.

It’s up to city engineers and the Ecology Department to come up with treatment technologies and permits that will maximize the current plant’s capacity. If it’s large enough, the county and city could negotiate a way to share it.

Longer term, the metropolitan area may need another treatment plant. Where should it go, and how should this very expensive project be funded? This is a challenge that will test the spirit, vision and ingenuity of our public agencies. Can they work together in a way that will benefit the whole metropolitan area? They must.