Post Falls residents blast sewer mandate
POST FALLS - Post Falls now has a plan to deal with future stricter wastewater discharge standards for the Spokane River.
And some residents are outraged over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's mandate behind the standards and future increased costs to be shouldered by ratepayers.
The City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved the treatment option recommended by staff and consultant JUB Engineers.
The option includes a combination of discharging to the river and land application on the Rathdrum Prairie to meet nutrient load limits on the river.
Post Falls resident Barry Rubin said he understands new technology is needed to handle future growth, but he believes the feds deserve a fight on the mandate that prompted the plan.
"My opposition revolves around the new EPA standards," he said. "It seems this is more of a political mechanism rather than a substantive improvement to the environmental situation."
Area municipalities, including Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene and the Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board, discharge wastewater to the river, but are being required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce phosphorous and metals to improve fish habitat. The other agencies are developing their own programs to deal with the tighter standards.
"The basis for this is all under the (federal) Clean Water Act," said Paul Klatt of JUB Engineers. "We're going to need additional revenues to provide these improvements."
The plan also pertains to Rathdrum since Post Falls treats Rathdrum's wastewater.
Wastewater rates for those cities are proposed to increase 60 percent over the next five years to help fund $30 million in treatment plant upgrades needed to meet future discharge permit requirements aimed at cleaning up the Spokane River.
Increases in both existing wastewater rates and capitalization fees, one-time charges to new customers, are part of the funding plan.
Rates are proposed to increase 14 percent each year during fiscal years 2014 and 2015, 10 percent in 2016, 9 percent in 2017 and 7 percent in 2018. For the average monthly bill during those years, the amounts would increase from $33.64 to $49.20.
Capitalization fees are proposed to increase $95 - from $4,659 per to $4,755 - and will be updated on an annual basis.
The city would obtain the funding for the wastewater improvements through a 20-year bond using the "judicial validation" process. The rate hikes would be needed to pay for the bond. A public hearing on the fees and increased costs to pay for the bond will be held on March 19.
City council member Joe Malloy urged residents to contact their state and federal representatives regarding the standards as he has.
"These are unfunded mandates, not a necessity for your safety," Malloy said. "This has huge impacts. It's out of control."
Post Falls resident Bob Flowers said he's tired of federal mandates being handed down to the locals.
"I'm so fed up with federal pressures and them stepping on the states every time we turn around," Flowers said. "I'd much rather write a check to the city of Post Falls to put together a legal fund to fight this than to cave into them."
Post Falls already owns 618 acres on the prairie for land application during the summer months, while Rathdrum owns 314. The treatment plan requires the cities to purchase an additional 532 acres.
"We could use the golf course (Prairie Falls) and the cemetery because we have a line out there," said Terry Werner, public works director. "So it's not like we have to run out and do a land grab right away."
The city would not start land applying for at least a few years. Pilot testing for the treatment plan is slated to be completed by 2016 and the plan is scheduled to be fully implemented by 2021.
"We think, at some point, we'll have to land apply," Werner said. "We won't be able to discharge everything to the river (as what's taking place now)."
Klatt said land applying treated wastewater over the prairie and the aquifer, the region's drinking water source, has been a concern. However, the treatment plan requires the water to be treated to the highest possible level, so a barrier will not be required between the land application sites and homes.
The draft river discharge permit is expected to be out for public comment this spring.
If the city does not meet permit requirements, it can be fined up to $37,500 per day - 99 percent of it from Feb. 1 to Oct. 31 under the proposed permit. City officials said they believe they'll be given about eight years to meet the new requirement.
The city's current discharge permit calls for removing at least 70 percent of the phosphorous in wastewater from March to October. (There are no limits for November through February.)