Aqua pura?
City water deemed safe by officials

By Kevin Killough
Staff writer

GALLUP — The city released its water quality findings, which showed that Gallup’s water supply falls well below maximum safety levels of all regulated substances. These include lead, arsenic, radiation, and uranium.

“We’re well below levels in every case,” Executive Director of Gallup Joint Utilities Lance Allgood said.

To detect radiation in the water supply, the city measures alpha emitters, which are measured in picocuries per liter.

The maximum contaminant level for alpha emitters is 15.

According to a brochure that was mailed out to water customers in the Gallup area, the city’s tests showed ranges of 0.517-4.4 throughout the year in which it was sampled.

According to the brochure, certain contaminants only change their concentrations during spans lasting two or more years. For that reason, the city doesn’t always test every year. Arsenic, Barium, and Uranium were among those whose levels were measured in 2005.

Arsenic tested at a range of one to two parts per billion, which never reached the maximum level of 10. No amount of uranium was detected in the water supply.

The city gets its water from two underground aquifers. Rain, snow, streams, or rivers do not replenish these aquifers.

Therefore, the city’s water supply is not very susceptible to contamination from surface sources.