By: Jenny Gray, Panhandle Health Aquifer Protection Program Coordinator
North Idaho is home to some breathtakingly beautiful bodies of water. The area’s most important water resource, however, is one we cannot readily see, as it lies beneath our feet – the Spokane Valley – Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer (SVRPA). The SVRPA covers roughly 370 square miles in northern Idaho and eastern Washington and is composed of Ice Age flood-deposited gravels, cobbles, and boulders. It is an unconfined aquifer, meaning no continuous rock, clay, or silt layers exist across the aquifer to keep surface contaminants from infiltrating into the groundwater. In addition to its unique and vulnerable composition, the SVRPA is also the sole source of drinking water for over 600,000 people in Kootenai County, Idaho and Spokane County, Washington, making the protection of this extremely valuable resource a key concern for residents.
Fortunately, there is a long history of protecting the water quality of the SVRPA, dating back to the late 1970s. Through great collaborative efforts between state and local agencies, cities, concerned citizens, and decision-makers, various aquifer protection measures have been implemented that have helped keep our drinking water safe. Panhandle Health District’s (PHD) Critical Materials Program is one of those long-standing, prevention-based efforts.
PHD adopted the Critical Materials Program in 1990 and began working with business and industry leaders on best management practices for chemicals handled and stored over the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer (RPA – the Idaho portion of the SVRPA). In 1993, Idaho Administrative Procedures Act (IDAPA) 41.01.01.400 – the Critical Materials Rule – was adopted. The focus of the rule was to require secondary containment of chemicals stored, handled, and transferred over the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer and to ensure that non-domestic wastewater is properly disposed. Secondary containment requires a second level of isolation for materials to prevent them from encountering the ground surface or waters of the state (imagine if a container is cracked or punctured – what second line of defense will capture it before it makes its way to the aquifer?).
Due to a recent statewide restructuring of IDAPA rulesets, the Critical Materials Rule has once again shifted back to local control. For the last two years, PHD has been working with area cities and Kootenai County to transfer the former IDAPA rule to local ordinances to keep this successful, prevention-based program in place.
PHD Critical Materials Program staff conduct site visits every two years at commercial and industrial facilities over the RPA to assess the volume of chemicals on-site. Depending on the type and volume of chemicals stored, secondary containment may be required. PHD staff then work with these businesses to implement best management practices and/or correct any secondary containment or non-domestic wastewater issues. Regulated facilities are issued a Critical Materials Compliance Certificate if no violations are noted, as well as when all violations have been corrected. PHD approaches these site visits as an educational opportunity and works hard to be a resource for the business owners in the area. The goal is to be a partner in prevention.
While other aquifers in Idaho are dealing with costly contamination issues, the SVRPA remains a safe source of drinking water, even in the face of drastic population growth. This is only possible because of the prevention-based measures that have been in place for decades. Continued community support of these protective efforts is key to keeping our irreplaceable aquifer a safe and reliable source of drinking water into the future.
If you would like to learn more about best management practices for handling and storing chemicals or where you can properly dispose of chemicals, please visit the following:
Best Management Practices Manual, PHD webpage: https://panhandlehealthdistrict.org/licensing-and-permitting/water-protection/
Kootenai Waste & Recycle Directory: https://spokaneriver.net/wastedirectory/
