LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As water levels at Lake Mead continue to decline, uncovering many of the lake's secrets, one question remains: how clean is the lake water?
With recent discoveries of a dead body in a barrel, dying fish, and skeletal remains, folks at the River Mountain Water Treatment Facility in Henderson say the water is clean enough to drink.
IN-DEPTH: Decades-old barrel with human remains washes up on shore of Lake Mead
Dave Johnson, deputy general manager of operations, says 90% of the drinking water in the Las Vegas valley comes from the Colorado River, which supplies us with water from snowmelt runoff.
Johnson oversees efforts made by engineers, scientists, and leading innovators who work to clean and preserve the water for current and future use.
He says the water in Southern Nevada goes through pre-testing initially before going through a highly advanced sterilization process. Next is the filtration portion, where turbidity, sediment, and dirt are cleaned from the water. Then, the water is chlorinated and distributed to valley residents, ready for consumption.
MORE: How the Lake Mead Water Facility ensures water is accessible to Nevada residents
Johnson says regardless of the activities at Lake Mead, the state-of-the-art water cleaning facility is ready to take on anything that might come up in the water.
