On 16 September 2026, the Eagle Sewer District opened its facility in Eagle, Idaho, for a public tour of a new filtration system that is the first completed stage of a $20 million project to convert treated wastewater into Class A irrigation reuse water for the Treasure Valley Idaho News 6. District leaders said the system has just finished performance testing and invited neighbours in to see the equipment running before the next two stages are installed.
Key takeaways
- The full programme is budgeted at around $20 million, with the 5-micron filter alone costing $9 million Idaho News 6.
- The treatment train is filtration, polishing and UV disinfection, designed to reach Class A reuse standards Idaho News 6.
- Phase one is an Aqua Aerobics Mega Disc 5-micron cloth-disk filter that backwashes on a permanently installed vacuum while flow continues Idaho News 6.
- A 2-micron polishing filter and ultraviolet disinfection system are scheduled to arrive and be installed in the coming months Idaho News 6.
- A DEQ permit is still in process and water delivery to the Farmers Union Ditch Company is targeted for 2028 Idaho News 6.
What happened on the tour
Eagle Sewer District treatment manager Brandon Pechin walked visitors through phase one, an Aqua Aerobics Mega Disc 5-micron filter built around a 10-foot cloth disk Idaho News 6. "This first phase of filtration we'll do is remove large particulates, anything that's 5 microns in size," Pechin said Idaho News 6. General manager Neil Jenkins compared the media to carpet that captures particulate, then cleans itself with a permanently installed vacuum during a backwash cycle while treated water keeps flowing out the other side Idaho News 6. "One of the things we like about this technology is it's understandable," Jenkins said, adding that the 5-micron stage targets total suspended solids, particulate phosphorus, organic material and hair Idaho News 6.
Phase two, a 2-micron filter now being manufactured, is expected to remove sand, salt, algae and cryptosporidium, with ultraviolet disinfection handling bacteria, viruses and protozoa that earlier stages cannot catch Idaho News 6. "Most of the different water renewal facilities here in the Treasure Valley use ultraviolet light to do this type of disinfection," Jenkins said Idaho News 6.
Cost split, permits and 2028 target
The district broke out the $20 million budget as $9 million for the 5-micron filtration system, approximately $5.5 million for the 2-micron filtration and UV disinfection package, and approximately $5 million for the pipeline extension and outfall that will carry finished Class A water to the Farmers Union Ditch Company Idaho News 6. Pipeline design is underway, a DEQ permit has not yet been secured, and Jenkins said the project is on track to be ready to send water in 2028 Idaho News 6. Neighbours protesting outside the facility raised concerns about PFAS, crops, livestock and long-term impacts, and the district confirmed that the contract with the Farmers Union Ditch Company "remains in force and hasn't changed to date" Idaho News 6.
| Work package | Reported cost | Status as of 16 Sept 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 5-micron cloth-disk filtration (Aqua Aerobics Mega Disc) | $9 million | Installed, finishing performance testing |
| 2-micron polishing filter plus UV disinfection | ~$5.5 million | 2-micron units being manufactured; due in coming months |
| Pipeline extension and outfall to Farmers Union Ditch Company | ~$5 million | Design underway; DEQ permit in process |
| Total programme | ~$20 million | Target: water to partner in 2028 |
Specification read
The district did not publish a daily flow figure, so the design hydraulic capacity cannot be back-calculated from the article. For a Class A reuse scheme of this scope — three-stage cloth-disk filtration down to 2 microns followed by UV disinfection and discharge to an agricultural ditch — municipal reuse plants in this class typically operate in the low thousands of cubic metres per day range (general industry range, not from the sources). The reported equipment positions this project firmly in the tertiary-filtration plus disinfection block of a conventional reuse train: screening and biological treatment upstream, then cloth-media filtration in series (5 micron, then 2 micron) as the polishing step, with UV as the final barrier before distribution. For a procurement lead or plant manager, the practical signals are clear: a cloth-disk tertiary stage is now an accepted way to hit total suspended solids and particulate phosphorus limits while keeping flow continuous through backwash, and it is being paired with UV rather than chlorination to meet Class A Mbr Membrane Systems standards, with downstream disinfection equipment sized to polish the filtrate Disinfection Equipment. If your plant is a small-to-mid municipal works producing secondary effluent in the low thousands of m³/day with tightening reuse or discharge limits on TSS, phosphorus and pathogens, the Eagle package is a useful reference for a cloth-disk plus UV polishing train — and for the budget split between filtration media, disinfection and the pipeline to the end user Idaho News 6. For context on where reuse trains of this type sit inside broader brine and recovery obligations, see this comparison of ZLD vs High-Recovery RO for Mining & Metals Wastewater 2026: Brine Mandate Verdict and this guide on ZLD vs High-Recovery RO for High-BOD FOG Wastewater: 2026 Brine Mandate Guide.
FAQ
What filtration technology is Eagle Sewer District installing first?
An Aqua Aerobics Mega Disc 5-micron cloth-disk filter, described as a 10-foot cloth disk that backwashes via a permanently installed vacuum while flow continues Idaho News 6. Cloth-disk tertiary filters of this type typically need footprint planning for the disk tank, vacuum pump skid and backwash handling (general industry range, not from the sources).
How is the $20 million budget split across the reuse project?
The 5-micron filtration system is reported at $9 million, the 2-micron filtration plus UV disinfection at approximately $5.5 million, and the pipeline extension and outfall at approximately $5 million Idaho News 6. That split puts roughly 45% of capital into the first-stage filter and the balance into polishing, disinfection and conveyance.
When will the reuse scheme actually deliver water to the irrigation partner?
The district said the project is on track to be ready to send water in 2028, subject to securing a DEQ permit, with the 2-micron filter still being manufactured and the pipeline still in design Idaho News 6. For a buyer, that implies a multi-year lead time from groundbreaking to first reused water once the first stage is already installed.
Why UV disinfection rather than chlorination for the final step?
Jenkins framed UV as a tried-and-true disinfection step already used by other Treasure Valley water renewal facilities, and the design relies on UV to inactivate bacteria, viruses and protozoa after the 2-micron polishing stage Idaho News 6. UV is typically selected for reuse schemes where disinfection byproducts or residual chlorine are a concern for the receiving irrigation use (general industry range, not from the sources).
