BOZEMAN- Is Bozeman tap water safe to drink? How much lead really is in this water?
According to Public Works Director Craig Woolard, samples taken from the city’s water source show four parts per billion in lead content.
The EPA standard requires the lead content to be less than 15 parts per billion.
“We are delivering a very safe and very reliable water source. I drink it every day and I believe our customers should feel safe and comfortable drinking our water,” said Woolard.
This lead comes from the water line pipes. Out of these 12,000 pipes, 85 of them are made out of lead.
Pediatrician Michael Blake says if possible, people should try and consume little to no lead. He says consuming a large number of heavy metals can cause mental delays.
“If it is below these predetermined levels by the EPA we think that it is not going to lead to any appreciable levels in your blood that is gonna cause any kind of health problems,” said Blake.
The amount of lead in the school’s water system is less than the city. From the samples that were taken, the lead content was only one part per billion.
“It’s one of those things that you just have to watch carefully and make sure you take the right steps. If it becomes elevated, obviously none of our samples were elevated but it’s something we want to watch carefully,” said Superintendent Rob Waton.
The city says it plans to replace the remaining lead pipes with copper ones within the next couple of years. They hope by doing this the lead content levels drop close to zero.
