"Lucky 500" needs to ensure waste water is treated properly

SEELEY LAKE - I wrote a letter a couple of years ago urging the “Sewer Board” to change its name to the “Seeley Lake Water Improvement Board” because that is what it should be addressing.

Since that time, the Sewer Board continues to push forward on the sewer, as if this is going to solve all the problems in the lake. From the meeting I attended on Thursday, it sounds like it will cost $40+ million to build the system, which will ultimately serve some 500 homes and businesses. The number $83,000 per lot was tossed around. In addition, the annual operating cost will be well over $1,000 annually. Oh, but don’t worry, they will send us monthly bills instead of an annual tax notice so it will be easier to manage!

I have a friend who is on a septic system near Coeur d’Alene. She is required to have her system pumped and verified every five years and the pumping company sends a notice to City Hall. Yes, another level of bureaucracy, yet it certainly has to be more cost effective and less invasive than a sewer and will ensure that all systems are working correctly.

And remember, septic is a commonly used, effective solution to waste water management. According to the US EPA, more that one in five households in the US “depend on onsite or small community cluster systems (septic systems) to treat their waste water.” (EPA.gov – but with my emphasis added). In those areas around Seeley Lake where septic wouldn’t work, shouldn’t those property owners be responsible for installing holding tanks and have them regularly pumped? And shouldn’t this responsibility be to prove functioning septic systems be shared by all those who own property on our watershed – both north and south of Seeley.

One of the hand-outs at the meeting was about nitrates in the lake. I just heard about an on-going study done testing the water near the High School. Apparently tons of nitrates are going through the water there, so a new system isn’t going to solve that problem. But if all our septics are working properly, this should help to keep residential nitrates to a minimum.

Kudos to the new Board President for running a respectful meeting on Thursday. But I think we, the residents of Seeley – especially the “Lucky 500” – should continue to resist this imposition and work to ensure that all waste water that goes into not just our Lake – but into all of our local lakes and our beautiful Clearwater River – is treated properly.