Wednesday — January 28, 2004

Approve new
sewer bonds

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Ketchum and Sun Valley residents have a chance to protect the Big Wood River by approving two $3.72 million bond issues to upgrade their sewer plant.

The deal is a bargain. For just $2 more per residential customer per year and fees still less than those paid in other valley cities, the valley with the river that runs through it will remain a treasure.

New federal regulations that go into effect in 2006 will require the cities to make improvements—or pay big fines.

However, fear of fines shouldn’t be what moves voters. They should be motivated by the desire to protect the valley’s quality of life from increasing quantities of human waste. The bonds will buy state of the art disinfecting systems that will return cleaner water to the river.

Too many ordinary U.S. cities have rivers despoiled by industry or neglect, with stream banks stripped in the name of progress. Unlike those rivers, The Big Wood still supports a healthy fishery and streamside vegetation, and is a popular spot for recreation.

To date, voters have refused to let the river become a sewage ditch. The existing Ketchum/Sun Valley Sewage Treatment Plant was built with bonds approved in the late 1970s. The river needs that kind of support again. Ketchum and Sun Valley voters should run, not walk, to the polls to approve these bond issues on Tuesday.

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.