Health Information About Water Quality
The EPA provides excellent information concerning drinking water and human health effects. The Water Quality Control Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment monitors and reports on the quality of state waters to prevent water pollution, protect, restore and enhance the quality of surface and groundwater while ensuring that all drinking water systems provide safe drinking water. They inspect water systems, issue permits, ensure compliance, and take action against entities who violate state and federal regulations. They work in partnership with utilities, counties, and other agencies to oversee, improve, and maintain quality drinking, surface, and ground water.
Snake River Water District routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The State of Colorado requires us to monitor for certain contaminants, and we publish the results of independent lab testing in an annual Drinking Water Quality Report. This report contains general educational help from the EPA regarding water quality, and it shows all detections of contaminants found in the previous testing period.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment also refers to this report as Consumer Confidence Report. They describe it this way:
Community public water systems must provide customers with a Consumer Confidence Report every year. You can request the most recent copy or look on their website. The report fulfills the right-to-know provisions in the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act. It lists the contaminants that were detected in the water and any violations. The goal of a consumer confidence report is to teach customers what is in their drinking water, how the water was treated and where the water comes from. We encourage you to read your water system’s report and contact them with any questions.
Review the Snake River Water District’s Consumer Confidence Reporting.
Health Information About PFAS - Forever Chemicals
The EPA website explains the basics of PFAS as:
EPA is committed to providing meaningful, understandable, and actionable information on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – known as PFAS – to the American public. The information provided here is intended to explain some of the important background information needed to understand the details of specific actions EPA takes to address PFAS, and other emerging events related to PFAS.
What the EPA has learned so far
- PFAS are widely used, long lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time.
- Because of their widespread use and their persistence in the environment, many PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment.
- PFAS are found in water, air, fish, and soil at locations across the nation and the globe.
- Scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.
- There are thousands of PFAS chemicals, and they are found in many different consumer, commercial, and industrial products. This makes it challenging to study and assess the potential human health and environmental risks.
What the EPA does not fully understand yet:
- EPA's researchers and partners across the country are working hard to answer critical questions about PFAS:
- How to better and more efficiently detect and measure PFAS in our air, water, soil, and fish and wildlife
- How much people are exposed to PFAS
- How harmful PFAS are to people and the environment
- How to remove PFAS from drinking water
- How to manage and dispose of PFAS
- This information will help EPA and state, local, and tribal partners make more informed decisions on how best to protect human health and the environment.
Health Information About Lead Contaminants in Water
Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water.
Additional information is available on the Lead Frequently Asked Questions web page and from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 800-426-4791.