No metals found in Libby's public water supply
HAILEY SMALLEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 months, 2 weeks AGO
Water from Flower Creek flows over the lower diversion dam on the morning of Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Officials said the facility is stabilized, but an area that washed out on lower right side is cause for further concern. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Water samples from Flower Creek Reservoir in Libby tested negative for heavy metals, according to the Lincoln County Health Department.
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality ordered the city to test its municipal water supply after regional flooding damaged the smaller of two dams that maintain the reservoir.
A boil advisory remains in place due to high turbidity, or cloudiness, in the water.
While turbidity is not dangerous in itself, high-turbidity waters are more difficult to filter and are often associated with disease-causing viruses, parasites and bacteria, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The risk can be especially pronounced for infants, young children and people with severely compromised immune systems.
Bringing water to a rolling boil kills many of the microorganisms that can cause disease.
“Residents should plan on the boil order remaining place for some time,” wrote Lincoln County Health Department officials in a Dec. 18 Facebook post.
Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 758-4433 or [email protected].
ARTICLES BY HAILEY SMALLEY
Kalispell forum fleshes out the economics behind data centers
Only 10% of the capital used to construct a 500-megawatt data center in rural Montana would go toward local companies, according to a scenario modeled by the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research.
Beker Rengifo del Castillo breaks silence on Whitefish traffic stop that led to detainment
Fifteen months have passed since Beker Renigfo del Castillo spent a week in federal detention following what seemed like a routine traffic stop in downtown Whitefish.
State overestimated wolf numbers for years
There are hundreds fewer wolves in Montana than previously thought, according to the 2025 Wolf Report released by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks earlier this month.