Since the EPA has mandated that the bordering cities along the Spokane River, i.e. Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Hayden, clean up their sewer discharge, the cities should form a task force and combine their mitigating efforts in combating the pollutants that the EPA says are dangerous to our health.

The combined city budgets for this undertaking is in the millions of dollars with no guarantee it will satisfy the imposed regulations. Any project like this will, not maybe, overrun their budgets.

I’m sure someone will argue that with the “proper controls and oversight” this will not happen. Well Mr. Murphy loves projects like this and will prevail.

Anyway the point is by combining engineering efforts and sharing the technology that other cities have had to develop, it would save time and money on the design engineering side and possibly bring these projects under budget and complete them in a timely manner. I realize one size doesn’t fit all but with cities being strapped for cash and raising taxes to pay for this, any manner of saving money should be considered. This effort is so obvious that it is ridiculous not to at least have a forum to discuss. If the cities have already implemented this thinking then my hat is off to them and the different bureaucracies that are involved should be proud that they can get something done.

PHIL MORGAN

Coeur d’Alene