$25,000 reward offered for information on illegal waste discharge in sewer system
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SHELLEY — A local sewer district is seeking information that could lead law enforcement to arrest a person or group of people for illegally discharging 1,300 gallons of silicone-based liquid into the sewer system.
The Eastern Idaho Regional Sewer District is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the discharge.
The damage this discharge event did to the Oxbow Wastewater Treatment Plant has already cost the district $1.2 million in repairs. This reduced the processing capacity of the plant by 25%, leading to a curtailment in June 2022.
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“That was something that should not have happened at all and really hurt our community by stripping away 25% of the plant’s capacity,” said Brian Powell, president of the Eastern Idaho Regional Sewer District. “Our community is paying a price for that.”
Powell said they luckily had reserve funds to draw from, but these funds could have been used for capacity expansion.
The illegal discharge took place on Feb. 14, 2022. After about a year and three months, law enforcement is coming closer to finishing the ongoing investigation, and is looking for any information that would help them secure a conviction.
On the night of the illegal discharge, Powell said district personnel found the treatment basins foaming upon arriving at the Shelley facility. The silicone-based liquid damaged the membrane treatment system, which is made up of millions of long little strings that filter the liquid.
“We had to replace them all,” Powell said.
Powell said that silicone-based liquid is used in a lot of food processing equipment. He said it can be properly disposed of by working with a local landfill.
“You don’t dump it down the drain, you take it to a transfer station and they properly dispose of it in containers or burn it off,” Powell said.
Powell explained this silicon-based liquid wasn’t a product itself, “it’s a compound, or a product of a product. So it’s not somebody taking some silicone liquid and pouring it down the drain. It’s part of lubricating oil or oils used in machinery.”
Anyone who has information on the culprit or culprits of this illegal dumping should reach out to Blackfoot Police Department Detective Blake Davis at (208) 785-1234.
Powell said users of the water system affect everyone when they put something down the drain that doesn’t belong, even in instances far less dramatic than this one.
“As part of our community and everybody who uses the sewer system, let’s be mindful of what we’re putting down the drain and how that affects everyone that’s using the same system,” Powell said.
He said many people probably don’t think much about what goes down the drain, but the sewer is a collaborative system.
“I know sometimes we probably don’t give a second thought about some of the things we’re putting down the drain, but let’s work together and be mindful of what we’re doing and help each other out and preserve as much capacity at the plant that we can,” Powell said.