The Kootenai Ponderay Sewer District announced Thursday that it has received the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality grant it had applied for in efforts to clean up the Boyer Slough.

Overall, the DEQ awarded roughly $31 million in construction grants to cities across Idaho, Washington and Montana that hoped to improve their drinking water and wastewater systems.

The Kootenai Ponderay Sewer District was awarded $13,771,044 of those funds to design and construct a mechanical wastewater treatment facility, expand the land application reuse site and make surface water discharge improvements. This will greatly decrease the amount of pollution and contamination in the Boyer Slough, which has accumulated abnormally high levels of total phosphorus.

These construction projects are made possible through Governor Brad Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.

“Water is our most valuable resource, and we absolutely must keep up the infrastructure to ensure water is clean and plentiful for this generation and future ones,” Little said. “That is why we made historic investments in water quality and quantity this year as part of my ‘Leading Idaho’ plan.”

In 2023, the State of Idaho approved plans to roll out $115 million in water and wastewater infrastructure project funding, benefiting communities across Idaho through DEQ’s State Revolving Loan Fund Program. This program provides grants and low-interest loans to qualified recipients to improve their drinking water and wastewater facilities.

“These investments also could keep your property taxes low,” Little said. “Property taxes are determined locally but the investments we made in water and other infrastructure needs at the state level help relieve the burden on local government to cover costs of projects, improving the chances property owners won’t be burdened with the costs.”