missoula water supply (college, living in, moving to)

[megann22]

My boyfriend and I are considering moving to Missoula from SE Pennsylvania. We've just read about the superfund sites up-river from Missoula, and we are now concerned about the water quality and health and ecological issues surrounding it. Any local perspective would be helpful to us. Thank you!

[MHT]

Originally Posted by megann22

My boyfriend and I are considering moving to Missoula from SE Pennsylvania. We've just read about the superfund sites up-river from Missoula, and we are now concerned about the water quality and health and ecological issues surrounding it. Any local perspective would be helpful to us. Thank you!

Montana has the most stringent water quality laws in the United States. Missoula's city water is treated, cleaned, etc. just like all other cities. The superfund site has been there for 40 years (or more). The weather inversions they get there in the winter would be more of a concern to me than the water quality. I grew up in Missoula.

[megann22]

Originally Posted by MHT

Montana has the most stringent water quality laws in the United States. Missoula's city water is treated, cleaned, etc. just like all other cities. The superfund site has been there for 40 years (or more). The weather inversions they get there in the winter would be more of a concern to me than the water quality. I grew up in Missoula.

Thank you for your response! The term "inversion" is new to us, and we are not completely clear on the implications. Do they mainly cause cloudier skies?

[MTer]

Originally Posted by megann22

Thank you for your response! The term "inversion" is new to us, and we are not completely clear on the implications. Do they mainly cause cloudier skies?

For inversions, think Los Angeles. Cities in valleys are notorious for them. In an inversion, the air doesn't rise and flow out of the valley so all the pollutants (exhausts, etc.) stay in the valley. So no, an inversion isn't a cloud issue, it's an air quality issue.

[KatWrangler]

Denver has this problem.

[wurd4wurd]

Originally Posted by megann22

Thank you for your response! The term "inversion" is new to us, and we are not completely clear on the implications. Do they mainly cause cloudier skies?

I originally posted this in another state forum, but thought I would copy/paste it here as it seems appropriate. The following is a brief, layman's explanation of atmospheric inversion.
Meteorologically this is an increase of air temperature with altitude. This increase is a reversal of the normal temperature condition where temperature usually decreases with altitude. Inversions play an important role in determining cloud formation, precipitation, and visibility. An inversion acts as a lid, preventing the upward movement of the air below it. Where a pronounced inversion is present at a low level, convective clouds cannot grow high enough to produce showers and, at the same time, visibility may be greatly reduced. Because the air near the base of the inversion is cool, fog is frequently present. This particular phenomena occurs because high-pressure systems often combine temperature inversion conditions and low wind speeds. During a temperature inversion, air pollution released into the atmosphere's lowest layer is trapped there and can be removed only by strong horizontal winds.

[mtnlady]

One of the water quality issues they may be talking about is the removal of the Milltown dam. There are many years of sediments and pollutants behind the dam and as they move forward with it that stuff is being washed down river. They stopped it late summer for some reason (can't remember). Do some research on the Milltown dam and that should help you understand the situation. The Clarks fork of the Columbia river is the river that goes through Missoula. I went to college there and at the time there were no issues, but lots of fog in the winter.

[chrisdeana]

My boyfriend and I are living in Missoula after growing up in SE PA, and we love it. The winter inversions and summer smoke can be a bummer, but it is much nicer than the constant pollution and gridlock of the Philly/Allentown area.