DEQ's Coeur d'Alene Region works with Indian tribes, Canadian federal and provincial agencies, state agencies from Montana and Washington, the U.S. federal government, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and the public to protect its surface, ground, and drinking water resources.  The cooperation and collaboration involved with these partnerships are the key to the successful protection of north Idaho's water resources. 

The Coeur d'Alene Regional Office is currently working with the state of Washington; the Coeur d'Alene, Kalispel, and Kootenai Tribes; and the EPA on water quality management plans, called "total maximum daily loads" (TMDLs) for various water bodies in the Coeur d'Alene region.  In order to meet different water quality standards and requirements for different states and tribes, these TMDLs require great effort and cooperation among all parties.  Currently, TMDLs are being development for the Kootenai/Moyie Rivers, the Pend Oreille River, the Spokane River (by the Washington Department of Ecology), Hangman Creek, and Black Lake. View a list of completed and pending TMDLs.

Coeur d'Alene Regional Office staff are working with Avista Utilities in its bid to re-license five Spokane River hydroelectric dams, including the Post Falls Dam in Idaho. In order for the Idaho dam to be re-licensed, DEQ must certify that it will not violate state water quality standards (a process called "§401 certification").  DEQ became involved early in the re-licensure process and has continued to work with a myriad of stakeholders and interests to help ensure the project will meet state standards and receive §401 certification. 

The Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer underlies a sizeable area of heavily populated parts of Kootenai County, Idaho and adjacent Spokane County, Washington.  Its occupies an area of 321 square miles from the southern end of Lake Pend Oreille and northern end of Coeur d'Alene Lake and extends west under the Rathdrum Prairie in Idaho and the Spokane Valley in Washington. 

The aquifer serves as the principal source of drinking water for nearly 500,000 people and was designated as a sole source aquifer in 1978.  The aquifer was the first aquifer in Idaho and the second in the nation to receive sole source designation.  The aquifer is also specially categorized in Idaho as a sensitive resource aquifer.  Through Idaho's sensitive resource designation, the aquifer cannot be degraded unless it is demonstrated that the change is a justifiable result of necessary economic or social development. 

The aquifer is highly vulnerable to contamination. Unlike many other aquifers, it does not have protective layers of clay or rock above it to protect it from surface contaminants. While contaminated water in the aquifer can be remediated (cleaned), it is costly and difficult.  Preventing contamination in the first place is the best strategy for protecting aquifer water quality.

The biggest threat to the aquifer comes from the rapid population growth and associated development in the area.  DEQ is working with local schools, businesses, municipalities, and other stakeholders to educate the public and the regulated community about the aquifer to prevent contamination.  When contamination does occur, DEQ works with others to remediate the contaminated area and may take legal action when necessary to ensure the aquifer remains a safe source of drinking water.  Read about recent legal action concerning the BNSF Hauser fueling facility and its successful resolution.  

DEQ's Coeur d'Alene Regional Office and state office in Boise are working to fund an "Aquifer Virtual Field Trip" to be presented to elementary students in the Coeur d'Alene School District.  The virtual field trip will allow school children to "visit" the aquifer without leaving their schools via a live presenter and Internet links.  As "real" field trips become more and more scarce due to funding issues, "virtual" field trips become a more and more practical alternative.  The field trip will teach children about the aquifer underneath them and help them to appreciate and protect the resource.  The field trips will be correlated with Idaho Achievement Standards at the elementary school and middle school levels.

While the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer is the primary source of drinking water for thousands of residents of northern Idaho and eastern Washington, it is not the only source of drinking water in the area.  Many communities, such as Bonners Ferry and Sandpoint, use surface water (water from lakes and streams) for drinking water.  DEQ staff work with local communities and homeowners to protect surface waters. 

Sandpoint Drinking Water Protection Plan

Coeur d'Alene Regional Office staff are working with the City of Sandpoint to write a drinking water protection plan that will help Sandpoint keep the water that supplies its public water system clean. 

Pend Oreille Lake Lake*A*Syst

Regional office staff are also working with the Pend Orielle Lake Management Committee (a watershed advisory group) to secure funds through DEQ's drinking water protection program to help develop a "Lake*A*Syst" program to educate lake users and homeowners in the Pend Oreille Lake watershed on water quality protection activities. 

 Area-Wide Optimization Program

Drinking water from surface water sources is treated at a water treatment plant before distribution to the public.  However, if a treatment system is not performing properly, the water could pose a risk to public health.  The Area-Wide Optimization Program (AWOP) assists public water treatment plants in improving their treatment performance and is specifically for plants that treat water from surface sources (e.g., lakes and rivers). 

At present, this voluntary program focuses specifically on treatment plants that use "coagulation" to treat the water.  This type of plant can treat very polluted water and is vunerable to malfuncion due to its complexity and relatively old treatment technology.  The focus of AWOP is on those coagulation plants that treat the most polluted water and are at highest risk of poor performance.  It is anticipated that the program will be expanded to include less vulnerable types of treatment (e.g., slow sand filter and membrane plants) in the coming years.

AWOP is an EPA program that is run by individual states.  Idaho's AWOP program is managed through the Coeur d'Alene Regional Office.  Currently, a group of plant operators, municipality administrators, DEQ personnel, and others are participating in a 15-month long training (five sessions), called "Performance Based Training," being offered through Idaho's AWOP program.  Three staff from DEQ's Coeur d'Alene Regional Office are participating.  The training addresses common problems at certain types of facilities and will help DEQ personnel to better assist water treatment plants when they are experiencing difficulties.