Innovation & Dependability
United Water Idaho celebrated another milestone in its more than 100-year history of water service in Boise on July 20, 2005 with the dedication of the Columbia Water Treatment Plant.
State-Of-The-Art Technology & Sustainable Development
The Columbia Water Treatment Plant uses state-of-the-art low-pressure air backwash membrane filtration technology to treat Boise River water in a manner that meets the increasing demand in Idaho’s rapidly growing capital city.
With a current capacity of 6 million gallons a day (MGD), the plant’s design allows for expansion to a capacity of up to 20 MGD as growth and system demands require. The plant serves the southeastern part of the city, in an area where the Idaho Department of Water Resources has imposed a moratorium on drilling new wells.
As part of United Water’s Renewable Resource Initiative, the Columbia Water Treatment Plant will lessen the company’s dependence on ground water while allowing the aquifer to recharge.
Meeting And Exceeding Current Quality Regulations
The Columbia Water Treatment Plant meets and exceeds both Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) drinking water quality standards.
The filtration system produces a higher water quality because the membranes use a physical barrier that will not permit minute particles to pass through to the finished water. The result is higher quality and cleaner water with better removal of microbiological contaminants.
The membrane filtration system is also better able to meet future drinking water regulations, both at the state and federal levels.
The plant is completely self-contained, with no discharge of backwash residue. Those residues are treated and recycled through the plant.
Meeting Future Needs
The new facility also will help United Water implement its Renewable Resource Initiative, which is designed to shift reliance on new sources of water from ground water to surface water over time.
The plant will also allow the utility to use treated water for Aquifer Storage & Recovery (ASR). During lower demand periods, the water will be pumped into the aquifer as a natural form of water storage. This water can then be utilized during higher demand periods.