SANDPOINT — With aging infrastructure and new permit requirements, it's about time for the city of Sandpoint to take a look at its wastewater treatment plant.

In regards to that effort, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality announced Wednesday it is awarding the city a $65,000 wastewater planning grant.

The funds will be used to prepare a wastewater planning study. The purpose of the project is to evaluate the current wastewater treatment system and identify needed improvements to address new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit requirements.

"(The grant) will be for the engineering, review and design for a preliminary concept for the future of the wastewater treatment plant," said City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton.

Stapleton said there has been significant reductions to the phosphorus outfalls, as well as other changes necessitated by the city's discharge permit approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. In order to meet new permitting requirements, Stapleton said it will be necessary to upgrade to the existing plant, structure a new plant, or some combination of both.

"They could look at some options for regionalization, too, because the permits are being issued for all of the plants in this area," Stapleton said.

According to epa.gov, the Clean Water Act prohibits anybody from discharging pollutants through a "point source" into a "water of the United States" unless they have an NPDES permit. The permit contains limits on what can be discharged, monitoring and reporting requirements, and other provisions to ensure that the discharge does not hurt water quality or people's health.

In municipalities, sewers collect sewage and wastewater from homes, businesses, and industries and deliver it to wastewater treatment facilities before it is discharged to water bodies or land, or reused. Under permit, the city discharges treated wastewater to the Pend Oreille River.

"We have an undeniably aging facility," Stapleton said. "The repairs are mounting, and our ROI, the return on investment, of the plant as it exists right now no longer pencils, so we are in need of significant upgrades."

The total eligible cost of the project is $201,925, according the statement from DEQ. The remaining $136,925 will be funded by the city of Sandpoint.

Stapleton said a workshop series will likely begin in the fall to facilitate public discussion before any decision is made.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.