Here is the full notice from the City of Havre.
The City of Havre routinely monitors your water for turbidity (cloudiness). This monitoring tells us whether we are effectively filtering the water for the public water supply. On the 4th of September 2024, following a treatment plant upset, the turbidity of our filtered water spiked to over 5.0 NTU. This is above the standard of 1.0 NTU. Due to these high levels of turbidity, there is an increased chance that the water may contain disease-causing organisms.
The City of Havre public water supply was under a health advisory prior to this event. This health advisory was to remain in effect until the distribution system is adequately flushed and treatment has been shown to be consistent. This health advisory is an addition to the current health advisory.
What does this mean? What should I do?
People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. These symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water, but also by other factors. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.
General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791.
What is being done?
Continued and additional monitoring of source water and treated water qualities, increased disinfection of drinking water, and flushing to reduce the likeliness of pathogens throughout the distribution system are measures being taken by the City of Havre public water supply.
The City of Havre will notify you when the Montana Department of Environmental Quality determines that the Havre Water Treatment Plant has demonstrated consistent treatment that is meeting all water treatment requirements and has rescinded this health advisory.
For more information, please contact Trevor Mork, City of Havre Public Works, at 406-265-4941.
*Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
This notice is being sent to you by: The City of Havre
State Water System ID#: MT0000524
Date and Method Distributed: 5 September 2024; Havre Weekly Chronicle, NMBI, City of Havre webpage, social media
