Sewage spills into Lake Coeur d’Alene at Arrow Point

An estimated 1,320 gallons of sewage spilled this week into Lake Coeur d’Alene at the Arrow Point Marina. North Kootenai Water & Sewer District on Wednesday morning discovered the accidental release of septic effluent from its septic effluent lift station on Arrow Point Drive. The release was due to a pump failure in the lift station and the peak flows overcoming the remaining pump, the district said. Residents of the area were notified, and the swimming areas in the vicinity of the release were immediately closed. Water samples were analyzed for the presence of E.coli, and levels were found to be well below state standards for swimming areas. The beaches and swimming areas were reopened today. No further sewage release has been detected at the station, the district said today. A new pump was installed and the system is operating normally.