Uranium Contaminates Montana Water System

A water system in Montana that has been plagued with chronic water problems recently warned residents about uranium contamination.

 “The town of Whitehall has had problems with its water for close to a year. Last year it was E. coli contamination, now it’s too much uranium. Officials sent several notices to residents about the water being contaminated,” NBC Montana reported.

 “This is the fourth time Whitehall has gotten dinged by the [state] for having uranium rates over the drinking water limit in its water supply. The problem began in early fall 2015,” the Independent Record reported.

 In a notice sent to residents in December, the town said ratepayers need not rely on an alternative drinking water supply. The notice said the situation is “not an emergency.” However, the notice added that people with specific health concerns should consult their physicians. The notice from the city “says that for some, drinking water containing uranium in excess over many years can increase risk of cancer and kidney toxicity,” the Independent Record reported.

 The notice said that water sample results during the final quarter of 2016 exceeded the uranium maximum contaminant level (MCL). The MCL for uranium is 30 µg/L, according to the U.S. EPA.

 It is unclear where Whitehall will find funding to remedy the issue.

 The town “will likely need to drill a new well or install treatment in the existing wells, Kristi Ponozzo, director of public policy at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, said. Mayor Dale Davis said that he doesn’t know where the town will get the money to treat the problem,” the Independent Record reported.

 According to the World Health Organization, “Uranium is present in the environment as a result of leaching from natural deposits, release in mill tailings, emissions from the nuclear industry, the combustion of coal and other fuels and the use of phosphate fertilizers that contain uranium. Its presence in drinking-water is most commonly from natural sources.”

 To read more about ratepayer notifications visit Water Online’s Consumer Outreach Solutions Center.