06Dec 2023 by Nicole Rinaldi

Over $300,000 awarded to water, wastewater facilities across Idaho

Idaho News
KTVB BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality announced today that they are awarding $331,741 to nine drinking water and wastewater systems across Idaho. The funding for the grant award was made possible under Governor Brad Little's "Leading Idaho" plan, the news release said. "Families, farmers, ranchers, and all Idaho residents rely on clean, efficient water and wastewater systems. These systems are not only a crucial part of our way of life, but our economy as well. Funding for these projects from my Leading Idaho plan aims to ensure that Idaho residents – especially those in our rural communities – can depend on our water and wastewater infrastructure for generations to come," Idaho Governor Brad Little said. This grant provides 50 percent of the necessary funding for each…
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13Oct 2023 by Nicole Rinaldi

DEQ announces drinking water and wastewater funding opportunities for fiscal year 2025

Idaho News
Local News 8 BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is announcing fiscal year 2025 funding opportunities for Idaho’s drinking water and wastewater systems. Funding will be used to assist eligible public drinking water and wastewater systems with facility planning projects and help entities build or repair existing public drinking water systems and wastewater treatment facilities. Eligible drinking water applicants include all community public water systems and nonprofit noncommunity systems. Eligible wastewater applicants include governmental entities and nonprofit corporations. Funding Availability DEQ has several funding opportunities available. State Revolving Fund (SRF) Loans SRF loans provide low-interest funding for up to 100% of design and construction costs for drinking water and wastewater facilities. SRF loans also offer below-market interest rates with average rates under 2%. Planning Grants…
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08Feb 2023 by Nicole Rinaldi

DEQ awards nearly $52 million to six drinking water and wastewater systems across Idaho

Idaho News
Contact: MaryAnna Peavey, Grants and Loans Bureau Chief The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced the award of $51,335,442 in construction grants to six drinking water and wastewater systems. These construction projects are funded from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that Governor Brad Little directed to DEQ in 2022. “Water is our most valuable resource, and we absolutely must keep up the infrastructure to ensure water is clean and plentiful for this generation and future ones. That is why we made historic investments in water quality and quantity this year as part of my ‘Leading Idaho’ plan,” Governor Little said. “These investments also could keep your property taxes low. Property taxes are determined locally but the investments we made in water and other infrastructure needs at the state…
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10Jan 2023 by Nicole Rinaldi

Little calls for more spending on water, roads, rural infrastructure

Idaho News
By Brad Carlson; Capital Press Idaho Gov. Brad Little will again ask the Legislature to spend substantially on water and road infrastructure, and other work that benefits the agriculture sector and rural communities. The proposed spending of money available in the short term — from a state budget surplus and federal economic stimulus funds — targets long-term benefits, said Alex Adams, the governor’s budget director. Water infrastructure exemplifies ongoing needs, he said. Last year’s grant requests to help pay for system improvements easily exceeded the increased money available, and much of the new money to add storage capacity went to a few big projects. Continuing to make long-range, strategic investments in roads, water and other key areas bodes well for quality of life and reduces burdens on local budgets, Little…
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06Jan 2023 by Nicole Rinaldi

Idaho DEQ awards more than $59 million to municipalities for water improvements

Idaho News
By Kelcie Moseley-Morris; Idaho Capital Sun (Getty Images) The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality announced grant awards of more than $59 million from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to improve 11 drinking water and wastewater systems across the state, according to a press release. The $59.1 million in construction grants are part of $300 million distributed through the State Revolving Loan Fund in 2022 and Gov. Brad Little’s Leading Idaho initiative. “Water is our most valuable resource, and we absolutely must keep up the infrastructure to ensure water is clean and plentiful for this generation and future ones,” Little said in the release. “These investments also could keep your property taxes low. Property taxes are determined locally, but the investments we made in water and other infrastructure needs at…
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21Dec 2022 by Nicole Rinaldi

EPA Announces $263 Million WIFIA Loan to Boise, Idaho to Modernize Wastewater Infrastructure and help recharge the Boise River water supply

Idaho News, National News
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $263 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the City of Boise, Idaho, to support its Water Renewal Services Capital Investments Project. With this WIFIA loan, EPA is helping the City of Boise improve wastewater treatment processes to protect the Boise River’s water quality and ultimately recharge the drought burdened Boise River with high quality effluent. “Maintaining and upgrading water infrastructure is essential for the health of a community like Boise, which is a fast-growing city struggling with drought,” EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox said. “Thanks to this WIFIA loan, the City of Boise can upgrade wastewater treatment technology to better safeguard the Boise River and even help recharge its water supply while providing good-paying jobs.”…
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17Nov 2022 by Nicole Rinaldi

Feds restore WA water quality standards for chemical discharges

National News
By Isabella Breda; The Spokesman Review SEATTLE - In a reversal of Trump administration policies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week reinstated federal water quality standards for chemicals discharged into Washington state waterways. The final rule signed Monday would ensure polluters stay within federally established levels of chemicals or conditions in a body of water that are not expected to cause adverse health effects. Through the years, the water quality standard for polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs — chemicals found in dyes, paint, building materials, coolants and other products — have been a point of contention. Industry leaders, like paper and pulp manufacturers, previously argued there was no technology available to bring wastewater discharge of PCBs to the low levels that were required. Sometimes these standards are aspirational, said Bill…
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26Oct 2022 by Nicole Rinaldi

Feds Sue Driggs, Idaho for Excess Pollutants in Wastewater

Idaho News, National News
Bloomberg Law The City of Driggs, Idaho illegally discharged pollutants from its sewer system, the US says in a lawsuit alleging violations of the Clean Water Act. Driggs’ wastewater treatment plant and sewage collection system failed to comply with the city’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, which allowed it to release wastewater from an outfall if it followed certain discharge limits, according to the lawsuit. The complaint, filed Monday in the US District Court for the District of Idaho, says the city didn’t comply with the permit’s limits for E. coli, ammonia, and other biochemicals on various days within the past five years. Some sampling records lacked signatures, dates, and times, the lawsuit said. The EPA entered into a consent agreement with the city in 2018 to resolve the…
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17Oct 2022 by Nicole Rinaldi

Boise to test new technologies that could remove PFAS from wastewater before it’s reused

Idaho News
By Angela Kerndl; Idaho News BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — The city of Boise will be testing new technologies for treating industrial wastewater, which could remove PFAS before it's reused. It's part of the city's proposed recycled water program. The city's conducting a pilot project in January. The basis for its recycled water program is - pulling water from existing or future industries, sending it to a separate dedicated facility, then using advanced water treatment. The city has discussed using that water for groundwater recharge or returning it to industry. The city has been working on its plans for a recycled water program for almost two years. “Our best day is that the community is proud of this - they understand the climate offset and the support for kind of climate…
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13Oct 2022 by Nicole Rinaldi

DEQ announces drinking water and wastewater funding opportunities for fiscal year 2024

Idaho News
Local News 8 BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is announcing fiscal year 2024 grant and loan funding opportunities for Idaho’s drinking water and wastewater systems. Funding will be used to assist eligible public drinking water systems and wastewater systems with facility planning projects and help entities build or repair existing public drinking water systems and wastewater treatment facilities. Eligible applicants include governmental entities and nonprofit corporations that have authority to collect, treat, or dispose of sewage or industrial wastewater as well as community water systems and nonprofit noncommunity water systems. Funding Availability DEQ has several funding opportunities available. State Revolving Fund (SRF) Loans State Revolving Fund (SRF) loans provide low-interest funding for up to 100% of design and construction costs for drinking water and…
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