Health advisory issued for drinking water in Havre

A foreign contaminant was detected in Havre’s water system recently, causing the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the City of Havre to advise system users to be cautious, though Havre Public Works said they are monitoring the water conditions and there appears to be no immediate danger with drinking water.

The release said Havre’s water treatment plant routinely monitors water for turbidity — cloudiness — so they know if they are filtering water properly, but Havre Public Works Director Trevor Mork said a contaminant was recently detected that their filtration system was not able to properly filter out.

As a result, he said, the plant stopped introducing water into the system until they could get the water to within DEQ’s requirements.

He said they still don’t know what this contaminant is and are waiting on samples to be tested.

In the meantime, he said, they are trying to keep tabs on the conditions of the water in the system, and as far as they can tell it is safe.

The advisory said people do not need to boil their water or take any corrective action but if they have health concerns they should contact their doctor.

“People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk,” the release says. “These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.”