COEUR d'ALENE - North Kootenai Water and Sewer District said an estimated 1,320 gallons of septic effluent flowed into Lake Coeur d'Alene at Arrow Point marina.

The accidental release, discovered Wednesday morning, was from the district's septic effluent lift station on Arrow Point Drive. The district said the release was due to a pump failure in the station and peak flows overcoming the remaining pump.

Five water samples from the lake were collected, following instructions from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. The samples were taken to a local, certified laboratory for analysis.

Residents of the area were notified and the swimming areas in the vicinity of the release were immediately closed pending results from the water samples.

A new pump was installed Wednesday morning and the system is now operating normally, said Mike Galante, district manager.

The district coordinated with the DEQ and the Panhandle Health District to determine when the area swimming beach could reopen to local residents, Galante said.

The DEQ authorized lifting the swimming ban Thursday afternoon, Galante told The Press.

Pat Stroud, who lives next door to the marina on Arrow Point, said he saw people using jet-skis to push septic material from the lake toward the beach.

He said he was told by someone, possibly a water district representative, not to swim in the lake as he was preparing to do so from his dock.

He was told there was a pump failure.

"I understand mechanical failures do happen, but these systems are supposed to be alarmed and monitored on a regular basis," Stroud said.

John Tindall, engineering manager for the Coeur d'Alene regional DEQ office, said the sewer district made improvements to the lift station in 2008.

Tindall said the lift station serves the majority of homes at Arrow Point, the condominiums and Eddie's Bar and Grill, which is a restaurant open to Gozzer Ranch members only.

There are a few homes that still utilize individual or shared drainfields and are not connected, Tindall said.