POCATELLO — A grassroots environmental group has renewed a push for new city and Bannock County ordinances protecting groundwater quality because group members are concerned about the presence of certain contaminants in the local aquifer.
Second, levels of chlorinated solvents, once heavily used for dry-cleaning and industrial de-greasing, are on the rise in monitoring wells within the Bannock County Landfill.
The city’s engineering staff completed a conceptual plan in 2013 for connecting sewer lines to the Johnny Creek neighborhood — where aging septic systems have represented a significant source of nitrates reaching groundwater.
“During this year’s budget season, a number of City Council members were very interested in addressing this nitrate concern,” said Hannah Sanger, the city’s science and environment administrator.
“We already have a housing shortage here, and we just want to compound the problem?” Tovey asked.
Tovey believes nitrates in water can mostly be traced back to “legacy” septic systems installed in the 1950s and 1960s, and modern septic tanks pose little problem.
Sue Skinner, a retired local Environmental Protection Agency official who serves as policy adviser to the Portneuf Resource Council, said even most modern septic systems contribute to contamination of groundwater.
In the event that nitrate levels ever exceed allowable standards, Skinner said the technical advisory committee estimated at the time that it would cost $250,000 per year to treat each of the city’s 26 wells.
Through 2012, Thackray gave about 20 presentations to civic organizations, university classes and governmental leaders highlighting the committee’s concerns and suggestions, especially pertaining to hooking up neighborhoods with leaking septic systems to sewer service.
By the following year, several municipal wells in the Portneuf Valley had to be closed because of chlorinated solvent contamination.