General
Providing safe drinking water is a partnership that involves the Montana DEQ, the City and the Glasgow Water Treatment Plant Operators. The principal impetus for drinking water monitoring is to ensure drinking water to the City is safe for human consumption.
The EPA’s Drinking Water Standards Program established health based standards for more than 80 primary drinking water contaminants. The Montana DEQ is enforcing these standards and requires sampling and reporting accordingly. Public water systems are responsible for conducting monitoring of drinking water to ensure that it meets all drinking water standards. To ensure safe drinking water and optimal plant performance, the following sources must be sampled.
- Source (raw) water samples are analyzed to check for contamination and determine general water quality characteristics that influence the treatment processes, and for compliance of treatment techniques.
- Process water samples are analyzed to provide key information relevant to treatment optimization.
- Finished water samples are analyzed to verify water meets health-based and aesthetic standards and to periodically check for contaminants that are not regulated in drinking water.