WATER POLLUTION CONTROL MISSION

Pocatello's Water Pollution Control Plant (WPC) is located west of the City, has the primary responsibility of operating and maintaining the City's sanitary sewer collection, transport, and treatment system. The WPC Plant is one of the largest wastewater treatment facilities in Idaho. It has a design capacity of 12 million gallons per day and provides secondary treatment and nitrification.

The WPC plant currently treats 7.5 million gallons per day of combined wastewater from both the City of Pocatello and the City of Chubbuck. On average, the Plant removes over 98% of the organic matter (measured as BOD), over 98% of suspended solids (measured as TSS), 95% of ammonia, and 80% of incoming phosphorus.

The collection and transport system includes over 250 miles of sanitary sewer lines and 23 sewer lift/pump stations. Pocatello's Pretreatment Program protects the wastewater treatment plant from receiving contaminated industrial and commercial wastewater. These waste waters are often contaminated by a variety of prohibitive toxic, and otherwise harmful pollutants. The WPC Plant, which treats wastewater from homes and businesses and returns clean safe water to the Portneuf River, is not designed to accept or treat these types of wastewater. Industrial and commercial facilities are required to remove pollutants from their wastewater prior to discharging into the City's sanitary sewer system. This practice is known as pretreatment and is mandated by City Code and Federal Regulations.

The Water Pollution Control Department currently employs 24 full-time employees and 4 seasonal employees.The WPC facilities are managed by the WPC Superintendent, Administrative Assistant, Operations Supervisor, Lab Pre-Treatment Supervisor, Collections Supervisor and a Maintenance Supervisor.