The city of Driggs, Idaho, must pay a $400,000 penalty under the U.S. Clean Water Act following years of wastewater effluent violations at its Teton Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility, which must also be substantially upgraded by the end of 2028 based on an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice.
The facility has faced hundreds of violations in recent years — the most of any within Idaho — and has particularly struggled to adequately reduce ammonia levels, according to a state report. Additionally, the Teton Valley facility exceeded permit limits for E. coli, biological oxygen demand, and pH thousands of times, according to the EPA.
Driggs had originally been facing a fine of some $160 million prior to forming the facility upgrade agreement.
Now, local officials have started the process of undertaking a more than $25-million upgrade of the Teton Valley facility. The plant will transition to an advanced membrane activated sludge process and will utilize existing infrastructure and incorporate new systems, including equalization basins, membrane bioreactors, and biosolids handling facilities, to meet future needs.
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“Driggs is not alone in this matter. Small towns across the country need $25+ million dollar upgrades for treatment facilities due to aging infrastructure,” announced Driggs’ Mayor August Christensen in a statement. “By expanding and upgrading our wastewater system, we’re preparing for the growth of our community while protecting our natural resources.”
To address pollution control and monitoring, Driggs will increase sampling for incoming wastewater, industrial discharges, and lagoon effluent. Additionally, updated plans for lagoon management, odour control, and sewage sludge handling will be implemented.
Driggs officials are also focusing on workforce development, aiming to establish a long-term staffing plan by January 2026. This plan will ensure the expanded facility is adequately staffed and equipped to maintain compliance with environmental regulations.
Local officials also say efforts to identify and repair excessive inflow and infiltration into the wastewater collection system will continue annually, particularly during periods of high groundwater.
EPA Region 10 Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division Director Ed Kowalski called the settlement an example of a “small municipality recognizing the need to step up and committing to overdue upgrades to its infrastructure to comply with the Clean Water Act and protect important water resources.”
