Water Testing in Valley Grove
As you know, we are required by state and federal authorities to test our water for various contaminates at prescribed times. These tests are performed by our water operator, Rusty Roberts, and the reports are posted annually on our web site. We are very proud of our water quality and glad that we do not need to chlorinate our water as the City of Bozeman is required to do.
Every three years Rusty takes water samples at 10 sites to determine lead and copper concentration. At 8 of 10 sites no lead was reported and at 2 of the 10 sites levels were reported but well below any mandated actionable level. When Rusty presented this to the Board he explained where the lead would come from: household plumbing, mainly faucets. THERE ARE NO LEAD SERVICE LINES IN VALLEY GROVE.
He explained the history of the testing and regulation, which started with the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act.
Maximum contaminant level goal for lead set at zero
Maximum contaminant level (MCL) for lead set at 15 parts per billion
In 1986, an update to the law stated that lead service lines and lead based solder were banned, but lead content in plumbing fixtures was limited to 8%. In 2014, the allowable content of lead in plumbing fixtures was reduced to 0.25% Because most homes in Valley Grove were built before 2014 they can have fixtures with up to 8% lead in their brass components.
Actions the Board of Directors Intends to Make
We are not obligated by law to do anything, however we all agree that we want to insure our water is safe. The Board will have our water operator conduct annual tests, instead of the 3 year cycle the statute requires. Currently water samples are taken from 10 residences and we will double that to 20.
What Homeowners Can Do to Limit Exposure to Lead
Information is available at the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, 800-426-4791, and also at www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water. Some items we noted include:
1. Use only cold water for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula.
2. Make it a practice to run the water at each tap before use for at least 30 seconds.
3. Do not consume water that has sat in your plumbing for more than 6 hours.
4. Faucets installed before 2014 may contain up to 8% lead in their brass components. Consider replacing faucets used for drinking or cooking water with newer ones certified to meet ANSI/NSF 61 “low lead” requirements.
5. Some faucet and pitcher filters can remove lead. If you use a filter, consider purchasing one that is certified by the NSF to remove lead.