Hayden to seek voter approval for sewer loan

Hayden is asking voters for permission to borrow $3.96 million to expand and upgrade the regional sewer plant.

Yet current sewer users wouldn’t see an increase in their $19.60 monthly bill. Instead the city would pay off the bond with capitalization fees – the money charged for a new connection to the system.

“It would be paid for by new users,” city Planning Director Lisa Key said. “We’re not expecting it to have any impact on (current) users.”

The current hookup fee is $5,650, and Key said that cost is likely to increase yet no specific amount has been set.

On average, Hayden connects about 300 new homes and businesses to the sewer system each year. Sewage is piped to the Hayden Area Regional Sewer Treatment Plant.

The money would go to increase the capacity of the plant so it can handle 2 million gallons of sewage each day. The current capacity is 1.65 million gallons per day. The average household generates about 200 gallons of wastewater daily, Key said.

The increased capacity would be needed even if Hayden wasn’t in its current growth spurt, she said.

The money also would go toward replacing aging equipment at the treatment plant and upgrades to remove more nitrogen and phosphorus from the effluent.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is strengthening its requirements for how much nitrogen and phosphorus is allowed in treated wastewater.

The $3.96 million in bonds would help pay for a portion of the total $8.35 million upgrade and expansion at the plant. The remainder would come from money already in the bank from previous capitalization fees and the monthly sewer fee.

The bond election is on the May 23 ballot, the same day as the primary election for statewide races along with seats in Kootenai County and the 1st Congressional District.

By state law, Hayden must ask city voters for permission to borrow money even though only fees for new connections will cover the cost.

The Hayden City Council voted last week to have the bond election.