No one wants to see the costs of living in this community increase.
But a rehabilitation project that will allow for the North Koochiching Area Sanitary District Treatment Plant to discharge cleaner water into the Rainy River, become more efficient and handle more sewage is the right thing to do for this community.
Clearly, changes are needed at the aging plant — half of which was built in 1950 and the other in 1985.
Delaying the improvements would only cost more in the future. And a new permit needed to operate the plant requires technology that allows the plant to remove phosphorus and mercury from its discharge into the Rainy River.
The rehabilitation is estimated at $14 million, $4 million of which will be off set by grants. Constructing a new plant is estimated to cost between $30 and $50 million.
Civilized society requires that sewage be treated properly. Many efforts are underway, including the Voyageurs National Park Clean Water Project, to bring sewer collection and successful treatment to communities that surround the park.
Borderland prides itself on its many wonderful natural waterways. Many residents work and play on the lakes and rivers surrounding us while at the same time these places draw visitors from across the world to experience what we have in our backyard.
Already the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods, downstream from us, have been declared impaired waters by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency because of the amount of phosphorus and mercury in them. While they may look clean, these factors can impact the fish populations that live in these waters and the communities that draw their drinking water from them.
While the costs of this project may cause area residents to adjust their budgets, it simply cannot be put off any longer. The costs are cheaper now then they would be in the future. The time is right to upgrade the North Koochiching Area Sanitary District Treatment Plant.
