A story today reports that Airway Heights is getting $22 million in federal stimulus money for a wastewater treatment plant that's scheduled to be operating in two years.

That's a million gallons that no longer will go to the city of Spokane's plant, opening up capacity there. Meanwhile, unlike Spokane, Airway Heights will discharge the treated effluent directly into the ground, not the river. 

Keep that in mind as Spokane County moves forward on its own treatment plant which still doesn't have a license that would allow treated water to go into the river. Airway Heights' model may be a guide to the future.

---

---