Proposed KCSD treatment facility needs a home

WALLACE — Members of the Shoshone Board of County Commissioners met with Jon Groth on Thursday morning to discuss the ongoing efforts by the Kingston-Cataldo Sewer District (KCSD) to establish their own water reuse facility.

Since 1979 the district has utilized the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River Sewer District (SFSD) treatment facility to treat and discharge their water, but some new developments at SFSD have made them reconsider their relationship.

According to KCSD manager Jon Groth, the recent upgrades at the SFSD – primarily their operating costs – have led to a 47% increase in treatment fees to KCSD.

Groth explained some of the other issues in a handout that he gave to the BOCC.

“Along with the increase in rates, the SFSD also imposed a daily flow limit of 100,000 gallons per day with significant penalties when the flow limit is exceeded,” read the handout. “The KCSD was designed for 180,000 gallons per day. The flow limit placed on our system reduces capacity by approximately 45%. The customers in the district have paid for 100% of the original construction but are only able to utilize 55% of what they paid for.”

According to Groth, the SFSD has also established a new term in their contract that states that they may terminate treatment services when the capacity at the Pinehurst Lift Station (PLS) has been reached.

The water from the KCSD is conveyed through the PLS along with other flows from within the SFSD.

All of these factors have led Groth and the rest of the district’s board to begin looking into the establishment of their own treatment facility, which has been exceptionally difficult.

The main issue that they have run into has been finding a suitable piece of land within their district, but at this time they have been looking at a parcel of property at the top of Reinoehl Road.

The proposed $4.5 million facility would be used to collect and re-utilize wastewater flows.

During the warmer months, the water could be used for irrigation purposes to help assist and augment the growth of forest vegetation, and in the cooler months it could be stored for use during the warmer months.

“This method of wastewater processing has been enlisted in numerous locations around the northwest and has proven to be a viable and environmentally friendly solution,” Groth said in his handout.

The KCSD believes that they could reduce the amount of treated discharge into the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River by 15 million gallons annually, which would cut back on contamination levels within the waterway.

The proposed facility comes with added capacity and also supports any sort of population growth that may continue to occur.

Groth and the board also believe that the facility’s costs will likely lead to a reduction in costs for the district’s customers as the fees related to an ongoing relationship with the SFSD continue to rise.

Securing the land needed is a hurdle that Groth and company will need to clear before any of these proposed ideas can become reality.