Boise is home to the cleanest water out of college towns by a national survey.
Culligan Water conducted the survey, and analyzed publicly available water quality data from college towns in all fifty states. The cities were graded on an A through F scale, with Boise being one of four cities to receive an A+.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, Blacksburg, Virginia, and Durham, New Hampshire were the only other cities to receive the survey’s highest score. The scores were based off the amounts of lead and forever chemicals found in the water.
Boise’s drinking water is largely provided by the private company, Veolia, rather than directly from the city. Other major cities such as Chicago, New York and Los Angeles all receive their water from the city.
Veolia provides drinking water throughout the Boise area and operates several treatment facilities across Boise, Eagle and Meridian.
Madeline Wyatt, Veolia’s communications, community relations and conservation manager, attributed Boise’s high letter grade to the naturally pure water of the Boise River.
“In this section of the river, we’re very fortunate to have really good water quality throughout the year,” Wyatt said. “That really helps the treatability through this plant.”
About 30% of Boise’s drinking water comes from the Boise River, while the other 70% comes from wells.
When water enters Veolia’s plant, it undergoes several stages of treatment to ensure the water is rid of contaminants, sediment, and harmful parasites.
The water first travels through a filtration system that removes leaves and other debris. Afterwards it continues through the plant, passing through a large tank filled with grains of a material called anthracite to remove any sediment. Finally, a small dose of chlorine is injected to kill any germs or bacteria that may have survived the process.
Veolia Production Supervisor Mark Chiaramonte said adding a small dose of chlorine is necessary.
“It’s a requirement by the EPA to disinfect the water prior to human consumption,” Chiaramonte said. “It’s our job to ensure that this water is safe to drink, safe to do whatever you want to once it’s delivered to the system.”
Chiaramonte said filtration helps kill cryptosporidium and giardia which are bacteria potentially fatal to infants and the elderly.
In the winter months, Veolia delivers 20 million to 25 million gallons of water per day, but that number balloons to 95 million gallons per day during the summer.
Wyatt encouraged Boise residents to be aware of their water usage, especially during the hotter months of the year.
“We just encourage, as people are consuming it, to be deliberate about who you’re consuming,” Wyatt said. “We live in the high desert environment. We need to be really mindful of how much we use and how we use it.”
From river to faucets, the processes the water goes through all contribute to Boise’s A+ water ranking.
