Opinion was not based on the facts

On behalf of the city of Sandpoint and specifically the wastewater treatment staff, I must correct the inaccuracies of your editorial. First the river was not affect for four days, the City exceeded its discharge permit levels for four and one half hours. The four days refers to the time effluent seeped from the pre-treatment plant to the treatment plant. Second "untreated sewage" was not dumped into the river, it was treated but not to the standard level. The same situation happened one year ago last spring during the heavy rain. This plant and its staff have received numerous awards from both EPA and DEQ for the quality of treatment.

Did we make mistakes, certainly? The biggest mistake was the lack of communication. The staff should have been notified that the pre-treatment plant was preparing to come back on line. They then would have had an idea of where to look when the problem was noticed. Instead they had to guess where in the many miles of collection system something might have happened. We have had numerous illegal dumpings into the system and every manhole is a potential threat. These errors in communication are being addressed and corrected.

You certainly have every right and I would add duty to scrutinize the city and hold us accountable. We do make mistakes as we are not perfect (yet). However I would ask that you base your criticism on facts and not overstate the situation. Four and one hours of exceeding the discharge permit level is not the equivalent of "four days of untreated sewage."

Lastly, I would be most happy to guide you on a tour of the facility and help you better understand its operation.

RAY MILLER, Mayor

Sandpoint