The City of Cottonwood is required to manage wastewater produced by the City in accordance with the Clean Water Act and other State and Federal standards.  Lagoons located near the airport are used for wastewater treatment.  The City constructed an Agroforest in the late 1990s for wastewater disposal during the growing season and utilizes discharge to Cottonwood Creek from late fall through early spring.  Discharges are permitted by the State with oversight by the EPA. 
In 2020, the State of Idaho implemented an Idaho Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (IPDES) Permit under authority of the Clean Water Act that the City’s treatment system is not capable of meeting without significant system upgrades.  The City worked with State Regulators to develop a compliance schedule to meet water quality standards in Cottonwood Creek by December 31, 2027.  The permit establishes financial penalties for non-compliance of $5,000 per day, per violation.  Nearby communities have received penalties for non-compliance. 
A Facility Plan funded through Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and City cash was developed last summer to identify alternatives to satisfy compliance issues.  The preferred alternative would eliminate discharge to the Cottonwood Creek and avoid regulation under the Clean Water Act.  The City would store treated wastewater year-round and apply with irrigation during the growing season to nearby cropland.  The total project cost is estimated at $27 million.
In July, IDEQ identified the City as the 2^nd highest priority in the State, awarding approximately $24.5 million of grant funding for the project.  Match is needed in the form of additional grant and/or loan to meet the funding shortfall and fully access the grant.  The City is asking the community to show their support of the project and plans to call for a bond election this November, the bond amount will be established to fully utilize the IDEQ Grant.  The City has been and continues to work with funding partners at Idaho Department of Commerce, USDA-Rural Development (RD), the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service in hopes of minimizing rate impacts associated with a loan to meet any funding shortfall.   
The City will host a public meeting prior to the bond election to discuss the project and answer questions.  Notice of the meeting will be posted and listed on the City’s Facebook page.  If you have any questions regarding the project, please contact Amy Uptmor, project manager, at (208) 790-1957 or City Hall at (208) 962-3231.