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Idaho
/ Washington Aquifer Study
In
August 2001, spurred by unknown impacts of two major power
plant proposals on the Rathdrum Prairie, the Regional Chambers
Alliance (RCA), including Spokane Regional, Coeur d'Alene,
Post Falls, West Plains and Spokane Valley Chambers of Commerce,
identified the need for a comprehensive study and model of
the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley Aquifer.
The
power plants' applicants requested a tremendous amount of
new ground water rights from the State of Idaho, with incomplete
knowledge of how such withdrawals would impact the sustainability
of our region's sole source of drinking water. Despite years
of scientific study and well monitoring, the region's aquifer
experts could not definitively determine what the impacts
would be - because there has never been a comprehensive study
of the bi-state aquifer.
For
more than 2 years, a bi-state group of aquifer experts and
community stakeholders in Idaho and Washington have met to
discuss possibilities and shape the groundwork of such a study.
Progress has been steady, and initial project funding is expected
to pass through Congress in October 2003. If fully funded,
the study is expected to take approximately 3 years.
For
more specific, up-to-date information, visit the dedicated
Aquifer
Study website at and go to 'Publications and Products'
for project scope.
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REGULATIONS
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33rd
& Lamont Standpipe
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SPOKANE
COUNTY, WASHINGTON Spokane County has land use regulations
designed to protect critical areas from improper development
through the Critical
Areas Ordinance.
To view the related map of Spokane County's Critical Aquifer
Recharge Areas, click
here.
This
includes development over the Aquifer.
For
information on above ground storage, and abandonment/removal
of storage tanks, click
here.
The
City of Spokane regulates critical, or potentially hazardous
materials over the Aquifer, within city limits. Click
here to view Chapter 11 of the City Code.
Washington
State Department of Health, Division of Drinking Water
The Division of Drinking Water has the responsibility to regulate
water systems in the state of Washington. Through the Source
Water Assessment Program (SWAP), citizens can access more
information about the source of your drinking water, and any
threats to its long-term quality that can be identified and
addressed through a pollution prevention approach. Everything
to know about their programs is at your fingertips via the
link above.
KOOTENAI
COUNTY, IDAHO
The Panhandle
Health District has links to the following topics:
- Shallow
injection wells
- Subsurface
sewage - has Technical Guidance Manual link to Dept. of
Environmental Quality
- Non-domestic
wastewater - policy
- Critical
materials - has link to secondary containment ('critical
materials') regulation
- Public
water systems
- Rathdrum
Aquifer protection (once at their site, go to 'Land Development'
and click on Rathdrum Aquifer Protection)
Individual
cities handle Stormwater. Go to the respective websites of
the cities of Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, and Rathdrum for
further information. A Stormwater Technical Assistance Committee
meets regularly and discusses community-wide issues, and has
developed a Best Management Practices manual to foster consistency
between the cities and county.
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AQUIFER-RELATED
ISSUES
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Here's
where to find out about the many factors related to
water quality and protection of the Aquifer, and the
work being done by local county government.
SPOKANE
COUNTY
Sewer
Planning & Design hooks homes and businesses up
to the sanitary sewer and eliminates septic tanks over
the Aquifer. Septic systems do affect water quality.
Comprehensive
Wastewater Management planning as our region grows,
so does the demand on the capacity of our wastewater
treatment system.
Stormwater
Management is actively working to control runoff
from roadways, rooftops and other impervious surfaces.
Runoff can affect aquifer water quality.
Coordinated
Water System Plan delineates the many separate,
independent water systems throughout the county. To
see the Spokane County map delineating these systems
and their service areas and find out which water district
you're in, check out the Coordinated Water System
Plan map below!
For
in-depth answers to questions about the above programs,
click
here.
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MAPS
Aquifer
Area Extent
Click on image for a larger
view.
Spokane
County Coordinated Water System Plan
Click here to find your water purveyor. (PDF format)
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Early
Spokane Water Main Delivery
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