Silverwood improves wastewater system

Silverwood Theme Park’s new wastewater system is designed to help the aquifer in two ways: protect it from contaminants and cut back on the amount of water the park needs to pump to operate.

The $1.5 million facility at the corner of Highway 95 and Brunner Road is a step up from the park’s current system of septic tanks and drainfields.

It will have the capacity to treat 100,000 gallons of wastewater a day, with the ultimate goal of using the water to irrigate the park’s landscaping.

Initially the park will apply the treated water to a test parcel of trees, said Idaho Department of Environmental Quality engineer Gary Gaffney. If that works, the water will eventually be applied to the park’s landscaping.

Gaffney said about two-thirds of the park’s wastewater comes from its restrooms with the remaining one-third coming from the Boulder Beach waterpark.

The new system is essential because increased attendance at the park has outgrown the capacity of a septic tank system, he said.

Silverwood attendance has grown from about 100,000 people 20 years ago to 528,000 people last year, said Silverwood spokeswoman Nancy DiGiammarco.

Water use has grown along with attendance. The park generates about 40,000 gallons of wastewater each day of operation.

“The question was: How can we reuse this water and conserve?” she said.

Reclaimed wastewater will only be applied to landscaping when the public is not present.

Gaffney estimates it could eventually replace one-third of the water the park uses for irrigation.