Idaho Cities Face Discharge Mandate

Idaho cities will be required to cut the amount of phosphorus they discharge into the Spokane River by more than 90 percent over the next decade to protect water quality, according to draft wastewater permits released Thursday. The new limits will require millions of dollars in improvements to treatment plants, operated by the cities of Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls and the Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board, which pump treated sewage into the river. The stricter permits are designed to comply with the federal Clean Water Act and protect water quality in both Idaho and Washington stretches of the river, said Michael Lidgard, a permit manager for the Environmental Protection Agency/ Becky Kramer , SR. More here.

Question: Now do you see why it was important for Coeur d’Alene to push ahead with wastewater expansion, despite the attempt by Councilman Steve Adams to thwart the funding process?