In October of 2010, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) revoked the filtration waiver on the Basin Creek Reservoir in accordance with ARM 17.38.20. Revocation of the filtration waiver for the Basin Creek Reservoir means, in short, the community of Butte must build a new treatment plant for this source water or use another filtered source of water. Funding has been secured and construction of the new Basin Creek water treatment plant will commence during the spring of 2015. The new plant is scheduled to be on line the fall of 2016. In the interim period, until this plant can be financed and constructed, BSB is required to provide public notification on a quarterly basis (every three months). Since we have not yet constructed a water treatment plant and are continuing to use the Basin Creek source, we must provide this notification to our customers as you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation.
The BSB Water Utility Division samples drinking water supplies at multiple sites throughout the community on a routine basis. All samples continue to comply with all current and applicable Federal and State Drinking Water standards and we will continue to diligently protect our customers and provide safe drinking water to our community. Through its management of the Basin Creek Watershed, disinfection of the source water with chlorine and continued sampling of the water supplies, the Basin Creek
Water Supply remains safe to consume for all of the residents of Butte.
This Notification is simply to advise that until the Basin Creek water treatment plant is constructed, or another filtered water source is used there is an increased chance that disease-causing organisms could contaminate the water supply. This situation does not require any immediate action. You do not need to boil your water or take any other corrective actions.
In some cases unfiltered water may contain disease-causing organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea and/or 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. 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. 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. However the Basin Creek supply is tested and does not contain disease causing organisms.
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 area or distributing copies by hand or mail.
Until filtration is installed, you will receive a notice similar to this every three months.
For more information, please contact Dave Schultz at 406-497-6519 or at 124 W. Granite, Butte, MT 59701.
PWSID: MT0000170 Date distributed: March 2, 2015