BOISE, Idaho — The federal Clean Water Act requires sewage and water to be cleaned and treated before returning to the environment. However, a new Idaho Conservation League study found 57% of Idaho's wastewater treatment facilities violated the act in 2022.
The study goes over 520 violations. It states the listed facilities failed to comply with standards for harmful bacteria, chemicals, toxic metals or other substances at least once.
"It's meant to keep these public resources clean and healthy," conservation associate Will Tiedemann said, "not only for human use, be it drinking water, be it recreation. But also, for aquatic life, as well ... the plants and animals that live in those environments, and that we also use and depend on in various ways."
Most of the violations happened in relatively small, rural communities. Tiedemann said that is often because those smaller cities do not have the resources and funds needed to address aging equipment and/or outdated facilities.
Data shows three Driggs, Jerome and Kuna facilities made up a quarter of all the 2022 violations.
In a statement, Jerome's superintendent said," The wastewater staff takes permit violations very seriously, just as the conservation league does. Our goal, like theirs, is to make sure clean and safe water is provided for all downstream users."
KTVB reached out to the other two cities but did not hear back. KTVB also contacted Idaho's Department of Environmental Quality about possible repercussions for facilities violating the act but did not receive a response.
The study included some good news. The Conservation League said several facilities with previous violations reduced the amount of pollutants being released.
"We do want to commend those efforts that those facilities do make to finding a problem and in finding solutions and addressing it," Tiedemann said.
The organization also provides various recommendations to wastewater treatment staff and local leaders about what they can improve.
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