Photo Credit: City of Boise
Deep below the earth’s surface near Boise, Idaho is a natural resource that people have been using for more than a century. A reservoir of geothermally-heated water flows under neighborhoods and streets, including some well-known landmarks. This sustainable heating source is used in a variety of ways, from melting snow on sidewalks to using hot water for hotel laundry to providing space heating for homes and businesses, and even heating the water that fills recreational pools.
The Boise valley’s geothermal resource has a rich and storied history dating to the late 19th century, with Native Americans from the Shoshone, Bannock, and Paiute Indian tribes using local hot springs for bathing, healing, ritualistic purposes, and negotiating peace. In 1890, what is now known as the Warm Springs Water District began providing hot water to residents and businesses in East Boise.
Today, about 300-million gallons of geothermal water are pumped out each year by the city’s heating utility. The infrastructure utilizes 20 miles of pipes underneath the downtown area to move the roughly 177 F water to more than 90 buildings throughout the system that use geothermal as a heating source.