There is waste involved in this deal, but not in spending.

Kootenai County's Solid Waste Department will save nearly half a million dollars over the next five years on waste collection at rural dump sites, thanks to a trimmed collection contract.

The savings will not only prevent rate increases, said Solid Waste Director Roger Saterfiel, but will also help fund future landfill projects.

"Nothing's being cut back on," Saterfiel said. "There's just been changes. A lot of it is just less waste."

After recently putting rural waste collection out to bid, for the first time in a decade, the department agreed to a 5-year contract lowering collection costs from $578,500 a year to $493,500.

Savings will total about $425,000 over the life of the contract, Saterfiel said.

Service at the 14 rural sites will not change, he emphasized.

"It feels great, anytime we can realize savings," he said. "In these times, that's huge."

Coeur d'Alene Garbage, which has been contracted for rural site collection for the past 10 years, won the bid with the lowest offer. The company is also known as Northwest Waste and Recycling.

Saterfiel attributes the reduced cost to the drop in waste since several sites were fenced and manned in 2005.

That has blocked illegal dumping by out-of-county residents, he said, cutting back about 250 tons of trash a month.

"(The contractor) doesn't have to come in and dump as often," he said. "Which equates to less time on his trucks, less man hours, less fuel."

Phil Damiano, managing partner of Coeur d'Alene Garbage, added that his company could also provide a lower bid because it already owns all necessary equipment.

"I bid it really skinny," Damiano said. "I wanted (the contract). I didn't want to lose it."

Saterfiel said his department will bank the savings for now.

He expects the extra dollars will go toward a planned $5 million landfill expansion in the next couple years.

"What our rate payers and citizens appreciate is when we have to do large expenditures like this, we don't have to raise rates or go back to them and ask for money," Saterfiel said. "Because we did our due diligence and planned ahead."