In the once-pristine valleys of eastern Idaho, ooze
from malfunctioning septic systems in older subdivisions has seeped
into groundwater used for drinking. Health officials in Island Park
recently found fecal coliform contamination and shigella – a
bacterium that causes severe diarrhea and cramping – at several
homes and one resort.
At a subdivision near
Salmon, Idaho, town officials imposed a building moratorium because
of septic system problems. East of Salmon, another development is
so saturated with septic slurry that it has caused some homes to
slip downhill.
Although water throughout most of
Idaho is of excellent quality, Greg Eager, a water expert with
Idaho’s Department of Environmental Quality, says the problems
beginning to surface were caused by poor planning and lax
regulation. “It’s a time bomb waiting to happen,” he
says.
But Eager points out that homeowners often
balk at paying the price for a sound septic system. “They’ll have a
huge house that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and when it
comes down to it, buying carpet is more important than the septic
system.” Commissioners in both Lemhi and Fremont counties now
encourage homeowners to fix septic problems by creating sewer
districts that would cost each family $35 to $75 a month.
*Candace
Burns
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline When regulations are lax, s— happens.
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