Major upgrades in store for Page Treatment Plant
Members of several state and local agencies were on hand for a groundbreaking ceremony for planned upgrades at the South Fork Coeur d'Alene River Sewer District's Page Wastewater Treatment Plant. Pictured from the left are Jake Garringer, Katy Baker-Casile, Sera White, Anne Comstock-Brainard, Pete Stayton, Tyler Harwood, Taylor Hulstrom, Steve James, Dan McCracken, Leif Sundstrom, John Cuthbert, and Rebecca Stevens.
JOSH McDONALD
SMELTERVILLE –– The South Fork Coeur d’Alene River Sewer District (SFSD) held a special groundbreaking ceremony last Friday at the Page Wastewater Treatment Plant.
While the Page facility has been in operation since the 60s, the ceremony highlighted some major upgrades to the plant that are expected to have regional benefits.
Peter Stayton, SFSD’s district manager, explained how, through partnerships with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and Gov. Brad Little’s Leading Idaho plan, the project came to be and why it is so important.
The $17 million project will see a third level of treatment added to the district, which will focus on removing harmful phosphorous loads from the water before it is pumped back into the South Fork.
The project stemmed from a conversation between Little and IDEQ concerning the health of Coeur d’Alene Lake – Specifically how increased phosphorus levels have contributed to changing water chemistry in Coeur d’Alene Lake. This led to the formation of the Coeur d’Alene Lake Advisory Committee, which prioritized the project in Smelterville.
According to Dan McCracken with IDEQ, the SFSD was the single largest source of phosphorus in the Coeur d’Alene Basin.
According to Stayton, the Page Wastewater Treatment Plant is estimated to contribute 8-10% of the total phosphorus load from the Coeur d’Alene River entering Coeur d’Alene Lake. While they are not required to treat for phosphorus, Stayton and SFSD believe that additional treatment is vital for the health of the Coeur d’Alene River and the lake.
“We’re all in this together, that’s really the theme of this project,” Stayton said. “When this project came up, our board discussed what our participation would be. We recognized that there is a tremendous value to Coeur d’Alene Lake especially, and to our entire community for the quality of our waterways.”
Jake Garringer, Gov. Little’s office, attended the ceremony as well, highlighting the governor’s excitement about the project.
“It’s been great to see this process through,” Garringer said. “The Governor has made a commitment across the state to water, water quantity, and water quality. And in North Idaho, that commitment is reflected through our Coeur d’Alene Lake Advisory Committee process.”
This project follows 30 years of work by the SFSD and IDEQ to improve water quality in the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River. Over that time, the District has upgraded both its Page and Mullan treatment plants to significantly improve effluent quality, made significant improvements to its sewage collection system to reduce the inflow of heavy metals, and improved operation and maintenance practices to prevent overflows.
“We saw it as not just a win for the river and community, but also for our ratepayers,” Stayton said.
SFSD treats all of the wastewater in the Silver Valley, except for nearby Smelterville, which may also be changing in the near future.
Stayton expects work on the project to begin next Spring and for work to be completed by the end of 2026.