May 23, 2007

Payette Lake Water Not Good for Household Use

Health District, DEQ warn of dangers of using surface water

Warm spring weather marks the return of summer home owners on Big Payette Lake, some of whom still draw their household water directly from the lake. The Central District Health Department and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality are issuing a warning that water drawn directly from any surface water source poses the risk of chemical and bacterial contamination. All surface water, even those that appear pristine, can be contaminated with human and animal waste, chemicals, fertilizers and petroleum emissions from boats or storm water runoff.

Even though a watershed management plan has been designed to reduce water quality impacts to Big Payette Lake, it is impossible to prevent all chemical or pathogenic contamination. Even though many home owners employ water purification equipment, the quality of the filtration and the maintenance of the systems cannot be guaranteed to adequately remove all contaminants from the water.

The health department and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality strongly recommend replacing surface water sources with approved drinking water systems, such as local city water, or bottled water to reduce the health risks associated with using surface water for household purposes.

For more information please contact the McCall office of Central District Health Department at 630-8001 or the DEQ-McCall Satellite Office at 634-4900.