BUTTE — This evening, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) informed Butte-Silver Bow that the results they have received so far from both Butte-Silver Bow's internal analysis and the MT State Lab are promising, with no signs of contamination.
In a social media post, the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department said they are continuing to work with Energy Labs in Helena, the State Lab in Helena, and the Bureau of Mines at Montana Tech, as well as ongoing internal sampling and lab analysis.
They are still waiting for results from the Bureau of Mines, which is testing for metals. Results from those tests could be available early Friday afternoon.
Butte-Silver Bow water treatment employees are continuing to collect samples, with an additional seven samples from the affected area to be collected this evening. These will be delivered to the State Lab by 8 a.m. on August 15. Butte-Silver Bow crews have also been flushing the affected water lines throughout the day.
The “Do Not Consume” order will remain in effect until all testing is complete and the DEQ officially rescinds the order.
The BSB Hotline will be open until 10 p.m. on August 14 and will reopen at 7 a.m. on August 15. The hotline number is 406-497-6440.
Montana Resources is giving away free bottled water on Thursday in response to potential contamination from mill processed water getting into Butte’s drinking water, and officials at the mining company say this is being done out of an over abundance of caution.
“We can’t tell you any water ever left the mine; we don’t have any evidence of that, but we can’t tell you it didn’t. So, out of an abundance of caution, you have to assume it did,” said Montana Resources (MR) VP of Environmental Affairs Mark Thompson.
Montana Resources believes water from the mine possibly got into the city water after a fire hose from a hydrant was attached to a line containing processed mill water.
“Those systems should never be connected together. Unfortunately, it did in this situation,” said Thompson.
This is a developing story and will be updated if more information becomes available.
