Small Washington Town Gets Clean Water After 15 Years

Residents of Hunters, Washington won't have to buy bottled water anymore just to do their laundry or water their fruit trees.

After three years of work, this small town northwest of Spokane is days away from completing a $1 million water treatment system that will transform their contaminated water into clean, safe drinking water. The project wraps up Wednesday, ending a 15-year struggle with dangerously high arsenic and manganese levels.

The numbers tell a sobering story. Hunters' water contained 21 parts per billion of arsenic, double Washington State's legal limit. Arsenic exposure can cause stomach pain, numbness, and has been linked to several cancers by the EPA.

Manganese levels sat at 518 parts per billion, nearly double the recommended maximum. Many families simply stopped using their tap water for anything beyond flushing toilets.

"And if they had water, there's frustration with paying bills for water that's not good, or they get a bill for water that doesn't work," said Stevens County Commissioner Mark Burrows.

The old treatment system was installed 15 years ago but stopped working properly due to technical issues. That's when contamination levels started climbing.

The Ripple Effect

The new filtering system will reduce arsenic by 84% and manganese by 96%, bringing both contaminants well below safe thresholds. Clean water means families can finally use their taps again without worry.

But the impact goes beyond health and convenience. County leaders believe safe water will help the town grow its population and strengthen its economy. They're already planning to replace aging water lines throughout Hunters to maintain the momentum.

The system requires weekly operational checks and monthly contaminant testing. If properly maintained, it will last 20 years, according to Tyson Larson, the associate engineer overseeing the project. Stevens County Public Works will handle the regular maintenance.

"I'm very excited to finally see the construction almost complete, and get this system up and running, because I know it's been a struggle for a while for the district," Larson said during Thursday's training session with county commissioners and water district officials.

Commissioner Burrows summed up what the project means: "The people of Hunters are just as important as anybody else in Stevens County."