An environmental group says a majority of Idaho’s public wastewater treatment plants are failing federal standards.
According to an annual report from the Idaho Conservation League, 76 percent of the state’s wastewater plants were issued U.S. Environmental Protection Agency permit violations between 2016 and 2018. EPA permits for wastewater treatment plants that discharge into bodies of water are required by the Clean Water Act.
The ICL report tracks how many times Idaho sewage plants violated EPA permits by discharging an excess amount of pollutants into bodies of water. One or more violations over the three-year period warranted a failing grade.
The study found just 24 percent of Idaho cities received a passing grade, meaning they had no violations in the past three years. Small cities and towns had the most violations, likely a result of a lack of funding for technological improvements to sewage plants. All of the sewage plants in the top 10 for violations serve towns and cities with fewer than 2,000 residents.
EPA violations can carry significant fines, and those levied against Idaho plants since 2016 ranged from $2,500 to $30,000 per violation. (Post Register)
