POST FALLS — The Post Falls City Council has approved a plan to update the stormwater system on Sixth Avenue, aiming to meet new requirements by 2025.

Craig Borrenpohl, the city's utilities manager, explained that the project will replace catch basins connected to the Spokane River with swales. This change will allow stormwater to filter through soil into groundwater rather than flowing directly into the river.

“It's kind of converting from the old way to the new way and we see this as a pollutant reduction activity,” Borrenpohl said. 

The Environmental Protection Agency lists common pollutants in stormwater systems as pesticides, fertilizers, oils, salt, litter, debris and sediments.

The project, estimated to cost $71,500, will be funded from the Sixth Avenue Stormwater Budget. While the total project cost is yet to be determined, this option was chosen over a more expensive alternative in the Arboretum area.

The upgrades may affect right-of-way use on Sixth Avenue. If so, the public works department plans to inform and assist residents with any necessary transportation changes.

This project is part of the city's effort to comply with MS4 permit requirements, which govern areas where water can transfer to the Spokane River. The city submitted its pollutant reduction plan in October 2022, as required.