Weiser amends code for wastewater pretreatment rules


The Weiser Wastewater Treatment plant, shown above, is crucial to keeping the city’s sewer system working properly. The city council recently approved code amendments that protect it, as well as connecting sewer lines and other equipment.
By: 
Philip A. Janquart
The city council on Monday approved amendments to city code that will ensure Weiser’s sewer system and treatment plant remain in good operational condition.
 In December 2021, the State of Idaho, Department of Environmental Quality, gave notice to all state entities that they were to have a pretreatment program that is reflected in city code by December 2022.
 Monday’s amendments include changes in the permit application procedure within the city’s Industrial Pretreatment Program Procedure Manual and grants investigative procedures and penalties for violations contained in a new Enforcement Response Plan.
 “They are making us regulate with all businesses that could potentially interfere with the publicly owned treatment works, the sewer system, and the treatment plant,” said Weiser Wastewater Supervisor Lonnie Chambers during a March 23 special city council meeting.
 The City of Weiser did not make the December deadline, but was granted an extension.
 The intent of the Industrial Pretreatment Program, in part, is to help educate those businesses that could potentially clog up sewer lines and equipment at the wastewater treatment plant by dumping things like grease into the system.
 “In this treatment program, we’ll be going out and visiting with all the … local businesses,” Chambers said. “Currently, there are 36 local businesses in town. Only 22 of those are contributors to the wastewater system where they could potentially cause a problem with the wastewater treatment plant if they didn’t clean a grease trap or flushed chemicals down the drain.”
 Chambers added that in the 14 years he has been working at the Weiser Wastewater Treatment Plant, there has only been one business that resisted working with the city to clean up its operation.
 “I’d like to say we will never use this as a city, but it’s nice to have something in place to give you something to stand on if you need to use it,” he said, reiterating that the plan is a state requirement.
 “It’s pretty simple, really; it’s just the state making us get out there and be more progressive with the businesses,” he said. “It’s something the EPA has had forever; they’ve had the rule – that you’re supposed to be doing it – but all the little towns … we just haven’t been doing it. When we get out and do this pretreatment program, there’s going to be a whole lot of education.”
 The new program also gives the city the authority to take enforcement action, which previously was handled by the State of Idaho.
 “Now the state is saying, ‘No,’ you can take care of it on your own and to do that, you need to implement some rules or add some things to your code that gives you the legal authority to do that,” Chambers said.
 The city’s Enforcement Response Plan gives officials the legal authority to enter a business in order to work with the owner(s) and correct a problem if it were to arise. Chambers explained that the city already had an enforcement plan, but that it was not in city code.
 “We had them in the plans, but not in the ordinance and the state had a concern about that because, technically, you have to grant your own authority to do something, not just [have it] in a management plan,” he said. “We are supposed to protect the storm drains and the water in the state, or we are going to get fees and fines from the state or federal government. We didn’t have anything in the past; you can’t go into a business and go, ‘Hey, you need to get this done in x-amount of time or there will be a $150 fine’ … we didn’t have that in place.”
 Chambers said the new plan, which includes administrative and civil penalties, is not intended to step on toes and is based on communication with business owners. If communication is not effective, graduated fines starting at $50 per day can be imposed.
 “It’s a tiered system, so the longer they let it go, if they don’t want to clean it up, the higher the fees get,” he said. “It’s an incentive to get it cleaned up before your fees get too high.”
 City attorney Cherise Morgan said the plan also gives the city prosecutorial discretion.
 “If someone is trying to cooperate, we don’t want to kick them while they are down,” she told councilmembers on March 23. “But if they are just like, ‘Forget you; I’m just going to keep dumping bacon grease down your drains and screwing up your system,’ then it gives us a bit of bite … if we need to, because at the end of the day, it’s the city that ultimately has to answer for its system.”
 In the case of administrative or civil action, a $1,000 per day penalty could be levied.
 

Category:

Signal American

18 E. Idaho St.
Weiser, ID 83672
PH: (208) 549-1717
FAX: (208) 549-1718
 

Connect with Us