DEQ steps in to address Island Park’s ongoing water woes
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ISLAND PARK — The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is looking for a new water company to service Island Park.
Island Park Water Company (not affiliated with the city of Island Park) serves more than 300 customers in Fremont County. It operates seven water systems in the Island Park area, several of which have been under boil water orders or boil water advisories over the past several months.
On July 7, the DEQ filed a civil complaint in Bonneville County District Court against IPWC and the system’s owner, Dorothy McCarty. According to court documents, the DEQ alleged IPWC had failed to correct significant deficiencies and health hazards in the water system.
Additionally, DEQ said IPWC failed to provide accurate and timely public notification, failed to address low or lack of pressure, failed to take required drinking water samples, and failed to identify a responsible charge operator, among other things.
As a result, Island Park Water Company has agreed to a receivership. That means the current owner of Island Park Water Company is stepping aside and someone else will be brought in –either a company or an individual — to manage IPWC’s systems, says DEQ Drinking Water Bureau Chief Tyler Fortunati.
“The receiver will have full control of and access to IPWC’s assets to ensure the proper operation and management of the public water systems,” Fortunati tells EastIdahoNews.com. This will continue until either the systems or the company are sold or transferred.
RELATED | E. coli found in Island Park subdivision’s water, DEQ issues boil order
It’s a move, residents say, that is long overdue.
In late March, customers testified at a hearing about the ongoing issues with IPWC. They reported the company demanded additional payments to maintain water service, charged them for prior owner’s bills and failed to make repairs.
IPWC was fined $434,000 for failing to provide residents with safe, reliable and adequate service.
However, the receivership “is based on the results of 2022 sanitary surveys by the DEQ,” says Kelsey Carter, DEQ drinking water analyst.
These surveys, which are performed once every five years, ensure components of the water system are operating correctly and allow the DEQ to identify any potential health hazards.
“The IPWC systems were overdue for inspection by over a year as of 2022,” Carter said. “The completion of the sanitary surveys in October identified 93 potential threats to public health, none of which have been corrected.”
On top of the possible water contamination, Cammi Vanderbeek and other residents usually don’t have water throughout the winter months, the Idaho Park resident said. Vanderbeek lives in the Shotgun Subdivision, which has been under a boil water advisory since May.
She feels a receivership is the best thing that could happen at this point, saying she was elated when she heard the news.
“(The water) is not consistent and, apparently, not always safe to drink,” Vanderbeek tells EastIdahoNews.com. “We’re all aware there may be an increase in fees, but if we can have a guarantee of safe water and year-round access, then it’s worth it.”
Other residents point out that Island Park Water Company’s system is about fifty years old and not designed for what Island Park has evolved into. Island Park — and the water system — used to be for summer use only. Now, it is a growing community of year-round residents and Airbnb-type rentals.
“People have moved in and think the water system is like every big city in the state,” long-time resident Gary Henderson points out. “It’s not. It is not funded by … taxes, it’s made out of PVC pipe (and) it’s abused by all the people adding onto their properties.”
Vanderbeek notes that, for families who use their cabins as a source of income, having to post a boil water warning or advisory at the cabin isn’t good for business.
“It’s so frustrating as a host that bends over backward to make a guest’s vacation amazing and then gets chewed out, relentlessly, for the water,” one such owner said, asking that their name not be used.
“DEQ expects the selected receiver will make essential repairs as soon as possible, allowing the systems to operate all year round,” Carter said regarding the aging water system. “In addition, any receiver selected will have the capacity to respond to service interruptions in a timely manner, in hopes of preventing long-term water loss.”
The DEQ is coordinating with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to establish the receivership as soon as possible. Fortunati said they hope to reach a decision by Aug. 31. The DEQ will take over monthly water sampling until then, and IPWC is still legally responsible for its public water systems, he noted.
The boil orders and advisories will remain in place until the systems can clear the sampling and testing requirements.
“We know this is a very hard situation for residents,” Carter said. “DEQ is doing all we can to comply with our Drinking Water Rules and ensure the delivery of safe and reliable water to everyone on the systems.”
Attempts by EastIdahoNews.com to contact Island Park Water Company and McCarty were unsuccessful.