POST FALLS — The city of Post Falls will upgrade generators at the Highlands and Montrose lift stations over the next year to improve reliability, following a construction award recently approved by the City Council.

The Montrose lift station, built in 2008 along McGuire Road, and the Highlands lift station, constructed in 1993 between Highway 41 and Huetter Road, are key components of the city’s wastewater collection system as the population continues to grow.

“Montrose Lift Station is currently served by a trailer-mounted generator, which needs to be upgraded to a larger capacity,” said Andrew Arbini, projects division manager for Post Falls.

The generator at Highlands has also become less reliable over time. Both generators serve as backup power for lift-station pumping equipment during outages.

The 2019 Wastewater Collections System Master Plan identified these upgrades as necessary to meet future capacity needs and ensure system redundancy.

During the council discussion, Councilor Samantha Steigleder asked whether Montrose is considered a growth area where impact fees could help offset costs.

“Can any of our impact fees be used to offset that price?” Steigleder asked.

Deputy City Administrator Warren Wilson said impact fees apply to new growth areas and typically do not cover wastewater infrastructure.

The Post Falls public works director authorized the design work in 2024. J-U-B Engineers handled the design and received four bids from electrical contractors after bidding opened in late October.

Valley Electric will replace the generator and automatic transfer switch and make electrical modifications at Highlands. At Montrose, the project includes installing a new generator, reusing the existing ATS and modifying the electrical panel.

Arbini said the master plan tracks anticipated growth in the Montrose sewer basin and schedules improvements as usage approaches design capacity. Larger pumps will eventually be needed to meet demand and maintain infrastructure.

The project, including design and construction costs, has an estimated value of $250,000 and is funded through the Water Reclamation Division’s $542,000 budget for master plan deficiencies.

The target date for completing the upgrades is August.