Water Warnings Stay On Tests Show Water Dangerous In Homes Of 100 Residents

Some contaminated water supplies in Post Falls are still too dangerous for pregnant women and infants to drink.

Recent tests show water customers in the South River and Parkview water associations still face unhealthy levels of nitrates, said Steve Tanner, a water quality specialist with the state Division of Environmental Quality.

Users should continue to buy bottled water or obtain safe drinking water from other sources, he said. About 100 or so residents are affected in the area south of the Spokane River near Q’emlin Park.

DEQ workers first discovered the problem in early May, when random tests showed nitrate levels at 19.2 parts per million - nearly double the 10-parts-per-million health limit.

While not a risk for most adults, the levels have been known to limit the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood in infants six months or younger, causing “blue baby syndrome.” No case has ever been reported in Idaho.

“We went out and re-sampled the wells and the levels have dropped a bit, but are still high,” Tanner said.

DEQ suspects the problem is the result of a greenhouse discharging nitrate-laden irrigation into a septic dry well. That problem has been eliminated, and nitrate levels in the water should gradually decline.

In the meantime, Tanner urged customers not to resort to boiling water for pregnant women or infants.

“Boiling will only make it worse,” he said. “It makes it more concentrated.”

, DataTimes