COLUMBUS – The timing may be ironic, or just awkward, after a two-week-long advisory warning some residents not to drink their city-provided water, but an annual report says the water from the city’s plants is safe.
The Columbus 2014 Drinking Water Consumer Confidence Report shows that the water pumped to 1.1 million customers meets or exceeds Safe Drinking Water Act requirements and all other state and federal health standards, Public Utilities Department spokeswoman Laura Young Mohr said.
The report, based on 2014 data, includes details about the city’s drinking water quality from its three treatment plants: The Dublin Road plant, which was the source of the water that contained high levels of nitrates earlier in June; the Hap Cremean Water Plant which is the city’s largest, and the Parsons Avenue plant, Mohr said.
The Environmental Protection Agency requires that all water utilities distribute reports on source and treated water quality to their customers. The city’s Water Quality Assurance Laboratory completes thousands of tests each year related to different organic, inorganic and microbiological water quality parameters, Mohr said.