PRIEST RIVER — The city is moving forward on a $2 million project to upgrade its water system.

Voters passed a bond for the project 517-230 during the Nov. 3 general election and is advancing its proposal to the Idaho Department of Commerce for a $500,000 for a Community Development Block Grant.

The project will replace a million gallon water tank installed in the mid-1960s and rehabilitate settling backwash basins to keep them from overflowing and discharging water to a nearby wetland, according to Mayor Jim Martin.

"Structurally, it's not sound," Martin said of the water tank.

The city considered bolstering the roof, but the tank was not placed on a foundation when it was installed.

"We really couldn't do a whole lot with it," said Martin.

It will be replaced with a 440,000 gallon tank, which will be paired with a standby generator.

"As long as we put a standby generator at the water plant, we've got enough capacity with the pumps," Martin said.

The backwash settling basins, meanwhile, will be improved. The basins collect water that is run backward through the system to clean filters. Martin said the basins were put in about 15 years ago, but didn't perform optimally because of the amount of clay in the soil.

"They didn't really work as they were designed to," Martin said.

Martin said the city entered into a consent agreement with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality meant to keep filtered water drawn from the Pend Oreille River from overflowing into the wetland. A pump will be installed.

"If the water gets too high a pump will kick on and it will pump it into our sewer plant," said Martin, adding that the water will ultimately be discharged back into the river.

Martin said the block grant was due in November and the city expects to learn in May 2021 if the funding will be granted. The money would become available the following month, Martin said.

"We’re moving forward with design and engineering all of it. We actually met with the engineers this morning on site and did a site visit of all the different locations," Martin said on Wednesday.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com or followed on Twitter @KeithDailyBee