Waste Water Treatment Plant Lawsuit Will Ultimately Help The City Of Driggs

Published: October, 24 2022

For Immediate Release: October 24, 2022

Contact: Mayor August Christensen, mayor@driggsidaho.org

Waste Water Treatment Plant Lawsuit Will Ultimately Help The City Of Driggs

DRIGGS - The Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in the City of Driggs is out of compliance with its National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPEDS) permit. The NPEDS permit is issued under the Clean Water Act by the Environmental Protection Agency. As a result of the current facility’s inability to meet the allowed levels of ammonia in treated water discharged from the plant consistently, the judicial branch of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice, has filed a lawsuit against the City of Driggs to help bring the plant into compliance.  

“Although it seems scary to be sued by the Department of Justice, it's actually an opportunity to receive support and resources from the Federal Government.  We want to make sure that any future decisions for our WWTP are the absolute best decisions and that all results create a fully functioning plant for decades to come,” states Mayor August Christensen. “We have a series of meetings planned with the EPA to bring them up to speed on all aspects of our plant,” she adds. 

The EPA is currently reviewing the WWTP Draft Facility Plan to consider the best possible solutions. City officials and Staff will meet with the EPA to discuss in-depth technical issues later this month.   After the EPA’s review, a new WWTP Facility Plan will be presented to City Council and sent to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for review. Once a new facility plan is adopted, steps will be taken to resolve the problem within a set timeline. 

City of Driggs Attorney Sam Angell states, “Yes, a lawsuit has been filed. We’ve known this is coming. This is a procedural step in the process of getting to a consent decree which is a settlement agreement between the EPA and the City of Driggs to solve the problem. This is part of months of work with the EPA to find solutions.”  

“The facility typically removes 90-95% of the BOD, TSS, and E.Coli, which is significantly more than required,” City Engineer Jay Mazalewski explains. “Unfortunately, the treatment facility cannot remove enough ammonia to meet our stringent discharge requirements.  I have spent the last five years working with engineers, manufacturers, regulatory agencies, and laboratories, trying to solve the ammonia issue.  Working with the EPA is the next step in the process of coming up with a long-term solution,” he remarks.

The City of Driggs is cooperating with the Department of Justice and EPA to resolve this issue.  Read more details on the matter and FAQs about the WWTP online at DriggsIdaho.org/wwtp. This webpage will be updated as more information becomes available.  -END-