KBIA Local
(2008-09-11)
COLUMBIA, MO
(KBIA) -
It remains unclear as to why Columbia's drinking water has such high levels of a certain carcinogen. The University of Missouri's Water Resources Center recently completed tests that show the problem doesn't stem from the city's wells. The Environmental Protection Agency notified Columbia in April that its drinking water had an unacceptable amount of trihalomethanes; nearly 90 micrograms per liter, above the EPA's maximum limit of 80.Columbia Water and Light spokesperson Connie Kacprowicz says it's unclear why Columbia has such high levels of THM. "It's chemical reaction, so it doesn't matter if you have organic material in the water and you add chlorine to it, it's not necessarily a geographically problem, it's a chemical reaction so that chemical reaction would happen anywhere on the planet that you did that."
Kacprowicz says Columbia Water and Light has not decided how it's going to attempt to lower THM levels. Among the possible options - adding ammonia to the city's water -- and heating the water with Ultra-Violet lamps.
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