Fort Hall townsite residents have been warned of pesticide residue in their water, but officials say it could be cleaned up quickly. A June 27 public notice said ethylene dibromide was discovered. Its concentration has not exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limit of .05 parts per billion, although tribal officials are doing more tests. “Right now we’re not issuing bottled water because we haven’t exceeded the limits,” Fort Hall water quality manager Lisa Safford said. “It is up to the individual whether or not they want to drink the water.” Ethylene dibromide, used to kill nematodes, was banned in 1983. Its long-term effects include damage to the liver, kidneys or testes. It is also known to cause genetic mutations and may be a carcinogen. Normally, the pesticide is filtered out by a carbon filter, but Safford said it needs to be replaced, again. Last year, the filter replacement cost the Fort Hall Water and Sewer District $24,000. Rather than replace the filter, tribal officials intend to connect townsite residents to the pesticide-free Fort Hall Agency community water supply. Thirteen miles of new water main are already in place, and Safford said she hopes to receive $1.2 million in federal funding to finally replace the townsite system.
