City's action shows concern for residents

Recently, the Sandpoint Mothers for Safe Water sent letters to Mayor Gretchen Hellar and the Sandpoint City Council expressing concern regarding the safety of drinking and swimming in water, such as Lake Pend Oreille, treated with the herbicides used to treat the milfoil infestation.

Hellar and the council responded quickly to those concerns. In a press release issued on June 18, it was announced that 'the city of Sandpoint Water Department will supply drinking water to its service area from the Sand Creek Water Treatment Plant until test results show that the Lake Pend Oreille source is safe for human consumption. Independent laboratory tests will be used to indicate when the herbicide used for controlling Eurasian milfoil cannot be detected. Only then will Sandpoint Water consider using the lake source.' This safety precaution demonstrated that the mayor and council have a genuine concern for the health of the citizens of Sandpoint.

Furthermore, Mayor Hellar granted our request to seat a member of the council to the Invasive Species Task Force. With this move, she enables the city's leadership team to stay informed and involved in the recommendations formulated by the task force regarding the milfoil treatment.

Mayor Hellar and council members, thank you for listening and attaching importance to our concerns. We appreciate the work you are doing.

HEATHER LEWIS SEBRING

Sandpoint

Sandpoint Mothers for Safe Water