New research highlights challenges, pathways for Idaho’s wastewater systems

A new study published in Environmental Research Communications by Associate Professor Sondra Miller and graduate student Gregor Posadas examines how wastewater treatment systems in Idaho are coping with the growing threat of emerging contaminants, including pharmaceuticals, PFAs, microplastics and other unregulated pollutants.

The researchers from the College of Engineering's Department of Civil Engineering highlighted and identified critical policy and infrastructure gaps that must be addressed to protect Idahoans water quality. Current federal and state wastewater policies lag behind scientific understanding, leaving utilities, especially in small and rural communities, without clear regulatory targets or sufficient technical and financial resources.

"Idaho's wastewater systems are being asked to manage contaminants that current policies were never designed to address," Miller said. "Emerging contaminants require emerging solutions, and by identifying where policy, infrastructure and scientific knowledge are misaligned, we can take more proactive and practical steps to protect Idaho's water resources."

Here's what the study finds:

• Existing regulatory frameworks do not include binding standards or monitoring requirements for emerging contaminants, despite available federal funding opportunities.
• Many wastewater facilities lack the capacity to install advanced treatment technologies needed to address persistent contaminants.
• There is a pressing need for flexible science-based policy guidance, enhanced technical and financial assistance, statewide monitoring programs, and risk communication strategies to bridge the gap between scientific insight and water management practice.

The research not only sheds light on hurdles facing Idaho's wastewater infrastructure, but also offers a four-step framework that could guide future policy, investment, and community engagement to safeguard water resources in a changing environmental and regulatory landscape.

Read the full published research here.

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