For
our previous article on concerns regarding the
North Side water, click here.
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DEQ notifies city of required action on North
Side water; DEQ reps to attend public meeting |
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July 21, 2014 |
On Monday, July 14, a representative from the
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
conducted an unannounced visit to inspect the
North Side water tank with Bonners Ferry City
Water officials. That particular visit happened
to occur just a couple of days before last
week's City Council meeting where issues
regarding the sanitation and safety of the North
Side water was discussed.
City officials mentioned that DEQ visit in last
week's City Council meeting, and reported the
DEQ inspector again found "vermin" inside the
tank, a problem the city has been battling for
some time at the North Side water tank. That DEQ
site visit was followed by a letter from the
DEQ, directed to the City, along with a copy of
a water analysis report.
Required Actions in the DEQ Letter
In the letter to the City of Bonners Ferry, a
copy of which was obtained by NewsBF, the DEQ
reported that water samples collected at the
site during that visit show no coliform bacteria
to be present, and also showed adequate levels
of chlorine in the water to help prevent harmful
bacterial contamination.
However, because of the ongoing issues with
animal entry into the tank, the DEQ letter
specified various required and recommended
actions by the City.
"DEQ staff observed one rodent and two snakes
within the reservoir during the July 14th
inspection," said Suzanne Scheidt, Drinking
Water Analyst with the Idaho Department of
Environmental Quality. Ms. Scheidt, based out of
the Coeur d'Alene DEQ office, is the DEQ
representative who made the Bonners Ferry site
visit.
Because of the ongoing issues with this tank,
The Idaho DEQ is requiring implementation of the
City's proposed plan, stating in the letter:
"The City’s long term solution was to replace
the existing wooden/aluminum reservoir roof with
a concrete lid. This improvement is anticipated
to bring the reservoir into compliance with
current design standards for public drinking
water systems. This project must be completed as
expeditiously as possible."
Structural Questions
There has been some question as to whether the
tank can structurally support a heavy concrete
lid. Anna Moody, a Drinking Water Program
Supervisor out of Coeur d'Alene for the DEQ,
said "As part of their assessment, the City
should consider whether the tank can
structurally support a new concrete lid, or
whether structural modifications/improvements
will be required." The DEQ letter to the city
specifies as an additional required follow-up
action: "Engineered plans for the project must
be stamped by a Professional Engineer who is
licensed in the State of Idaho, and submitted to
the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) for review and approval prior to
initiating construction."
The DEQ states they are willing to help move the
Bonners Ferry project through the evaluation
process, their letter stating: "DEQ Engineering
Staff will provide expedited plan review to
ensure the project proceeds in a timely manner.
Please provide a written timeline for completion
of the North reservoir lid replacement project
to DEQ by July 31, 2014."
Is the Water Safe?
Regarding the overall safety of the water,
current testing, as noted above, do show
adequate levels of water chlorination, and no
coliform bacteria present. When asked if the
tank has ever tested positive for harmful
bacteria, Ms. Scheidt indicated that one sample
collected from the Kootenai tribe back in 2009
tested positive for coliform bacteria, but
negative for the particular E. coli bacteria
considered to be harmful. A confirmation test
done four days later in 2009 was negative for
any bacteria. No other water samples from the
tank have shown any coliform bacteria since
2009, according to Ms. Scheidt.
However, this testing refers to bacterial
contamination only. The July 16 letter from the
DEQ states that "Other microbial pathogens such
as viruses are not easily cultured under
laboratory conditions and thus are difficult to
test for. Viruses also require additional
contact time with chlorine in order to provide
for effective inactivation (kill)." The DEQ
letter points out that "The entry of vermin into
the North reservoir presents an increased risk
for introduction of viral contamination to the
finished water supply. In order to protect water
users from exposure to such microbial pathogens,
additional improvements must be made to prevent
vermin from entering the reservoir."
DEQ Also Making Recommendations
In addition to the items the DEQ is requiring
the City to perform, they are also
"recommending" several more. According to the
DEQ July 16 letter:
"DEQ strongly recommends the City provide
notification to water users served by the North
reservoir in a timely manner. Recommended
notification may include:
1. a summary of the current condition of the
reservoir;
2. the City’s efforts to-date to remedy the
situation;
3. potential increased risk to the finished
water supply from vermin entry to the reservoir;
4. interim increased measures the City is
implementing to minimize risk, and a timeline to
provide a permanent correction through
construction of a concrete lid; and,
5. a statement that water users may choose to
consume bottled water or boil their water
prior to consumption to avoid all risk."
The DEQ administrators pointed out that the
North Side water tank in question actually
serves only a small part of the North Side
Bonners Ferry population. A second water tank
also serves the North Side, and this second tank
is within requirements and has not had any of
the problems of the tank in question.
'City Officials Proceeding
Expeditiously'
Some residents have had concerns there has been
inadequate attention paid to this problem by
City water officials. Ms. Scheidt stated that
"Since bringing this matter to the City’s
attention on Monday July 14th, DEQ has found the
City to be proceeding toward correction of the
issue as expeditiously as possible."
Special City Council Meeting to Be
Attended by DEQ
The City has arranged for a special City Council
meeting tomorrow night to discuss this issue.
Both of the DEQ officials cited in this article,
both Ms. Moody, Drinking Water Program
Supervisor, and Ms. Scheidt, Drinking Water
Analyst, will be in attendance at that meeting.
The public is invited to attend the meeting, to
comment on the problem, and to hear reports and
further information from the City Council and
from City water officials.
The meeting is scheduled to be held at City Hall
on Tuesday night, July 22, beginning at 7:00
p.m. |
For our previous
article on concerns regarding the North Side
water, click here.
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