Business Group Hopes Cleaner Water Will Help Grow Economy

Local governments are putting some extra effort into keeping rivers clean, and some business groups are also joining the call for cleaner water.

ISU professor Glenn Thackray presented before the Pocatelo Chamber of Commerce, sharing why he believes protecting the aquifer is key to more businesses coming to the region.

“It’s something we should pay close attention to as we try to attract new businesses and keep existing business. Some businesses require absolutely clean water and we need to be mindful of that,? Thackray said.

The Pocatello city government has also recently put some extra focus on keeping pollution out of the Portneuf river, trying to get people more aware of what they do with fertilizer, used oil, even grass clippings.

“I don’t think a lot of people realize that what is on the ground ends up on the Portneuf river,? Pocatello Water Department engineer Cindy Campbell said.

The city has started up a comic strip designed to get the younger generation a little more aware of where everything that is dumped on the road eventually ends up.

“The drip and drop campaign is a really valuable resource. Education of our youth, I think, is key. Of course they are going to be the ones cleaning up a lot of the mess that gets left behind,? Campbell said.

But Thackray said, there’s no need to get paranoid about the city’s drinking water now, just to make sure it stays clean in the future.

“Our water is plenty clean enough to drink. I’d rather drink our groundwater straight out of the tap than from a bottle or anything,? Thackray said.