Nine years in the making, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday released municipal wastewater discharge permit proposals for three local agencies and for public comment.

The proposals, which will reduce the flow of phosphorous and other pollutants into the Spokane River, mean the cities of Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls and the Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board must make improvements to their treatment facilities to meet the stricter standards and impose rate hikes on residents to pay for the upgrades.

Dan Opalski, director of EPA's Office of Water and Watersheds, said the new permit proposals strike a balance between economic and community development needs and long-term water quality protection.

"These are strong, flexible permits," Opalski said. "They protect water quality by reducing phosphorous discharge, but also offer treatment plants the needed flexibility to serve their growing communities.

"The cities of Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene and Hayden deserve praise for working hard to help craft these permits and prepare their communities to meet the new requirements."

Excessive phosphorus in rivers, lakes and streams supports algae growth, reduces the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water and degrades water quality. Phosphorus overloading in rivers, lakes and reservoirs can affect recreation and aquatic life.

The cities of Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene current permits allow for phosphorous discharges of as much as 68.5 and 50 pounds of phosphorus per day, respectively. Their actual discharges are lower. HARSB's permit has no phosphorous limit, but the agency discharges an average of 38 pounds per day, according to the EPA.

The draft permits propose new phosphorus limits of 1.33, 3.19, and 3.17 pounds day for Hayden, Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene, respectively. The limits will apply from Feb. 1 to Oct. 31 each year.

"These represent reductions of 94 to 97 percent from current or authorized discharges," said Mark MacIntyre of the EPA.

The treatment plant improvements required to meet the new standards are estimated to cost each of the local agencies between $30 million and $40 million, local officials say. The permits propose to allow the utilities 10 years to make upgrades and achieve compliance.

Post Falls received judicial confirmation from District Judge Benjamin Simpson on Thursday, saying the 20-year bond to fund the improvements is an "ordinary and necessary" expense. Coeur d'Alene and HARSB earlier received such judicial confirmation.

Officials with the three local discharges on Thursday declined to comment on the permits themselves because they hadn't had a chance to read through the proposals and analyze them.

"We know we have to move forward with making the improvements to reduce phosphorous (and other pollutants)," said Terry Werner, Post Falls public works director.

Ken Windram of HARSB said his agency is doing what it can to ease the pain for ratepayers by exploring various technologies to meet the proposed standard.

"It's the users who are the ones at the end of the line," Windram said, adding that the feds are mandating the improvements.

Public comment on the proposals will be accepted through Sept. 3.

All comments must be in writing and addressed to: Spokane River NPDES Public Comments, Mail Stop OWW-130, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Sixth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101. Comments can also be emailed to nickel.brian@epa.gov.

In addition to phosphorus, the permits also propose new limits for ammonia, biochemical oxygen demand and cadmium.

Two years ago, wastewater utilities discharging to the river in Washington, as well as Kaiser Aluminum and Inland Empire Paper, were issued final permits with similar limits.

The EPA issued discharge permits to the three local treatment plants in 1999. The permits expired in 2004. However, because the dischargers applied for reissued permits in a timely manner, the permits were extended.

Workshop, hearing scheduled by EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has scheduled a public workshop and public hearing on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. The workshop is 2-4 p.m. and the hearing 5-7:30 p.m.