Does anyone get drinking water from the Columbia River?
The public does not have access to Hanford groundwater, and there are currently no potable water supplies on Site. However there were 11 public water systems on the Hanford that are still monitored as part of the Annual Hanford Site Environmental Report. There are many communities downstream of Hanford that draw water from the Columbia for all or part of their domestic water supply. The City of Richland’s water uptake is the closest to the Hanford Site. They have nearly sixteen thousand residential and commercial customers – including the office where the Ecology Nuclear Waste Program is housed. Most people here drink the tap water – though some opt for bottled water for flavor! As do all cities within the U.S., the city provides an annual drinking water report to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. No alternate water sources have been required due to contamination resulting from Hanford.
