Mayor Solomon: Havre water tested regularly, is safe

Havre Mayor Tim Solomon has reassured city residents that the

water is safe. He said it is tested regularly and there is nothing to support it is unsafe at all, he said.

Solomon said he had heard from concerned residents who read a story in Wednesday's Havre Daily News about

fears of lead at the U.S. Border Patrol Havre Sector Headquarters.

Miscommunication between Havre Daily News and U.S. Border Patrol Havre Sector Public Affairs Agent Melissa Hart resulted in Wednesday's report of lead in the water. Hart said, after the story ran, that she didn't say or confirm that lead was detected in the water.

U.S. Border Patrol issued a press release Wednesday afternoon

that said, "GSA conducted standard spot air quality testing ... Initial test results indicated the presence of lead in a small portion of the building."

Solomon said his guess would be that, since there was a shooting range in that building at one time, lead might have been detected in the air in that area. One thing for sure, he emphasized, was the water in that building, the water in Havre, is safe.

Timothy Snyder, Border Patrol acting division chief of Law Enforcement Operational Programs, said this morning said the results of the testing were not yet available. He added that they are working on that, and the sooner the better, as everyone then will be able to get back in the building.