EAGLE, Idaho — The Eagle Sewer District is investing in upgrades to produce "Class A" treated wastewater designed for irrigation use in lawns, parks, and crops. The treated water would be sent into the Farmers' Union Canal, making up about seven percent of the total flow.
WATCH: Learn more about Eagle Sewer District's future water reuse plans
Neil Jenkins, Eagle Sewer District general manager, says the plan emerged from extensive public outreach in early 2023.
"We wanted to make sure that folks had a chance to describe, where do you want the water to go? That was the number one question," Jenkins said. "We have this water; we live in a desert, we can clean it up and use it for whatever we like."
District patrons responded that they want the water for irrigation reuse, he said.
"They want to use the water for irrigation, and the second part is they want to use the water for recharging the aquifer," Jenkins said.
The treatment process meets strict regulatory standards.
"Class A water, it's highly regulated, highly monitored, highly treated water, and follows the rules of the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and EPA," Jenkins said.
According to Jenkins, water reuse isn't new to the Treasure Valley, with communities like Avimor, Dry Creek, Hidden Springs, Caldwell, Meridian, and Nampa already using similar systems.
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"This is not a new concept. If folks are just hearing about it, that's wonderful, Jenkins said. "More than happy to provide more information and more detail."
However, not everyone agrees with the approach.
Hank Allen, a small hobby farmer who moved to Eagle eight years ago with his family, has concerns about long-term impacts. Allen, who also works as a realtor for Sea to Farm Real Estate, uses canal water to grow food and raise livestock on his property.
Allen learned about the project from a client and immediately had concerns.
"Treated sewer water, particularly here in the city of Eagle, they're only looking at a couple of contaminants in the sewer," Allen said. "One is going to be the nitrogen, the phosphorus, and they also look at the E.coli, the bacteria. But what they don't look for is the forever chemicals, the pharmaceuticals, because human waste is some of the most toxic stuff there is."
Allen wants more advanced treatment, like reverse osmosis and carbon filtration, to remove chemicals and pharmaceuticals that aren't currently regulated.
"The idea of reusing our water, recycling our water, it's a good idea," Allen said. "It just needs to be done properly."
Allen worries that unregulated contaminants could bioaccumulate in soil over time.
"After we hit year 5, we have an environmental issue that can't be cleaned up. We've ruined all of this natural resource that God's given us," Allen said.
He believes Eagle should invest in a more expensive treatment system, estimating the cost difference at about $10 million more than the current plan.
"Eagle is one of the most affluent areas in the Treasure Valley, and I think we should... they should be leaders when it comes to preserving our environment, you know, and our farms," Allen said.
Allen points to current Eagle sewer rates of $45 monthly, compared to $96 in Middleton, suggesting there's room to increase rates for better treatment.
"Should we be transferring that cost of lower sewer connection fees and monthly fees to the people who have who are landowners out here who have owned their land for years?" Allen said.
Jenkins says unregulated trace contaminants come in negligible amounts, citing Water Reuse Association studies.
"After 220,000 years with a kid playing on the park lawn, they would have been exposed to one equivalent Prozac tablet," Jenkins said.
"We don't add any of these things to the water. Eagle Sewer District doesn't add pharmaceuticals," Jenkins said.
Jenkins does urge Eagle citizens not to flush any pharmaceuticals that could contaminate the water.
The sewer district has land reserved for future upgrades if new regulations require extra filtration. Jenkins expects PFOS regulations to be added in the coming years.
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Allen has attended meetings with both the Farmers Union board and Eagle Sewer District, seeking to get on the agenda to present his concerns. The Farmers Union has already signed a contract with Eagle Sewer, but Allen says they may take another vote next month.
"Please don't drink ditch water now or in the future. Don't drink the river water. Please focus on drinking potable water supplies," Jenkins said.
When the project is completed in 2029, the water will meet the canal on Highway 55, near Hill Road.
More public meetings are expected next year.
For more information on Eagle Sewer District's plan, click here.
