The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Mark Mason, P.E., Engineering Manager Idaho DEQ - Boise Regional Office 1445 North Orchard Boise, ID 83706

The Idaho Department The Idaho Department of Environmental Qualityof Environmental Quality

Mark Mason, P.E., Engineering ManagerMark Mason, P.E., Engineering ManagerIdaho DEQ - Boise Regional OfficeIdaho DEQ - Boise Regional Office

1445 North Orchard1445 North OrchardBoise, ID 83706Boise, ID 83706208-373-0266 tel208-373-0266 tel208-373-0287 fax208-373-0287 fax

[email protected]@deq.idaho.gov

Infrastructure RequirementsInfrastructure Requirements

• Drinking Water – Source, treatment, distribution

• Wastewater – Collection, treatment, disposal

• Septic Systems – Individual, Community, Large Soil Absorption Systems

General Requirements - ProcessGeneral Requirements - Process

• Rules and Guidance: Take the time to read it all first!– http://adm.idaho.gov/adminrules/rules/

idapa58/58index.htm - link to all DEQ rules on Dept. of Admin. website

– http://www.deq.state.id.us/water/assist_business/engineers/checklists.cfm - submittal checklists


• Rules and Guidance - continued– http://www.deq.idaho.gov/water/prog_issues/

drinking_water/overview.cfm - Drinking Water Program overview

– http://www.deq.idaho.gov/water/prog_issues/waste_water/overview.cfm - Wastewater Program overview


1. Facilities Planning Study – required DEQ review and approval.

2. Preliminary Engineering Report - required DEQ review and approval.

3. Engineering Design Plans and Specifications - required DEQ review and approval.

4. Record Documents – required submittal


• Lifting Sanitary Restrictions– All mechanical portions of drinking water and

wastewater systems must be constructed and operational prior to lifting sanitary restrictions.

– Water and sewer piping must have designs approved by DEQ prior to lifting sanitary restrictions.


• Other Requirements also can apply – read the rules and then call for assistance– Permits – Septic (HD), Reuse (DEQ), NPDES

(EPA)– Water Quality Impact Analyses (NP)– Well site approvals, water quality testing,…– Technical, Financial and Managerial

documentation– Operation and Maintenance Manuals

Drinking Water Sources / Drinking Water Sources / TreatmentTreatment

• Surface Water: – DEQ Drinking Water Rules– Surface Water Treatment Rule– Slow Sand Filters– Rapid Sand Filters– Pressure Filters– Disinfection and disinfection by-product rule


• Wells: – DEQ Drinking Water rules– Groundwater under the direct influence of

surface water (GWUDI)– Arsenic, Nitrate, Uranium…– Disinfection and disinfection by-product rule


• Springs:– DEQ Drinking Water Rules– Groundwater under the direct influence of

surface water (GWUDI)– Potential to seal and use Spring Box– Arsenic, Nitrate, Uranium…– Disinfection and disinfection by-product rule

Drinking Water DistributionDrinking Water Distribution

• DEQ Drinking Water Rules– Fire flows?– Redundancy (largest source out of service,

standby power,…)– Lead, copper rule

Wastewater CollectionWastewater Collection

• DEQ Wastewater Rules– New systems– Simple extensions of gravity sewers– Lift stations

Wastewater TreatmentWastewater Treatment

• Lagoons– Primary and secondary treatment

• Mechanical (secondary) treatment– Activated sludge– Trickling filters– Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBRs)

Wastewater TreatmentWastewater Treatment

• Tertiary treatment– Filtration

• MBRs = membrane bioreactors• Other filtration technologies (sand, cloth)

– Disinfection• Chlorine• Ultra-violet light

Wastewater DisposalWastewater Disposal

• Discharge to Surface Water – NPDES permit required from EPA; 401 certification required from DEQ

• Total Containment Lagoons: not applicable everywhere

• Land Application / Reuse: DEQ permit required

ReuseReuse

• Highly treated effluent (Reclaimed Water)

• http://adm.idaho.gov/adminrules/rules/idapa58/0117.pdf - link to “Reuse Rules”– Class A: groundwater recharge; residential

landscape irrigation (zero buffer distances); toilet flushing; dust control;

– Class B: rapid infiltration basins; landscape irrigation (parks, schools, golf courses…) with buffer distances; toilet flushing; dust control;

Septic SystemsSeptic Systems

• Individual Systems

• Central Systems

• Large Soil Absorption Systems

Individual Septic SystemsIndividual Septic Systems

• Health Department jurisdiction

Central Septic SystemsCentral Septic Systems

• Sizing: >2500 gpd; waste from two dwellings or building under separate ownership


• DEQ assistance

Large Soil Absorption Systems Large Soil Absorption Systems (LSAS)(LSAS)

• Sizing: > 2500 gpd in 2500 gpd modules (can be one building)


• DEQ engineering assistance

Solid WasteSolid Waste

• Rules – http://adm.idaho.gov/adminrules/rules/

idapa58/58index.htm - link to all DEQ rules on Dept. of Admin. website

– http://adm.idaho.gov/adminrules/rules/idapa58/0106.pdf - Solid Waste Management Rules

– 40 CFR part 258 – minimum requirement– If Ground Water contamination is detected, go

to full Subtitle D requirements


• Municipal Solid Waste – Small Exempt Landfills (exempt from design

and GW monitoring)• < 20 tons per day• < 25 inches precip per year• Other

– Site Certification– “Arid” design (allowed in Idaho)

• < 25 inches precip per year• Other requirements


– Liner requirements– Leachate collection requirements– Cover requirements – soil or subtitle D– Operational reporting requirements – HD– Ground Water reporting - DEQ

Questions??Questions??