The city of Bottineau, the only one in the state with water testing positive for a type of naturally occurring radioactive particle, is blending water from a dozen different wells to try to meet federal standards.

State health officials say the water is safe, though the federal Environmental Protect Agency has raised questions.

"Everyone is drinking the water," said Dave Caroline, a city council member who heads the town's utilities committee.

The EPA set standards for the particles, called alpha-emitting radionuclides, in 2001, said Larry Thelen, director of the state Health Department's drinking water program.

Thelen said the radioactive particles were found in Bottineau's drinking water more than a year ago, when health officials began testing for it. Tests found the north central North Dakota community of about 2,300 was the only city in the state that failed to meet the standards for the particles in its drinking water, Thelen said.

"Alpha emitters" are a "radioactive-type material that is naturally occurring, and given off through the decomposition of soils, and that kind of thing," Thelen said.

The EPA says exposure to the radioactive particles can lead to cancer.

"The danger is the long-term exposure to the contaminate - it's not something that causes problems immediately," Thelen said Monday. "The water is safe."

Caroline said the city gets its water from a dozen wells below the Turtle Mountains. Officials have been drawing water from combinations of wells that have lower levels of the radioactive particles, hoping to satiate federal standards.

"That's the ultimate goal," Caroline said. "If we cannot get under the guidelines, we might have to find some additional wells to do some blending to get in compliance."

The particles apparently have been in Bottineau's water "since Day One," Caroline said. "They've just now figured out how to test for it."

Samples are sent to a lab in Tennessee for testing but the results take time, Caroline said. An adequate blend of well water that meets federal requirements has yet to be found, he said.

The water can be treated to rid it of the radioactive particles through various technologies, including reverse osmosis, Thelen said.

Caroline said the city has looked at building a reverse osmosis plant but cannot afford its estimated $4.5 million cost.

The city is liable for the cost of treating the water but it could get help from the state and federal government through grants and loans, Thelen said.

Bottineau had been hoping for help from the Northwest Area Water Supply project. It would pipe Missouri River water to Minot and other smaller communities, including Bottineau.

Caroline said the NAWS project would solve the city's water woes. But he doesn't see the city tapping into the pipeline anytime soon. The Canadian province of Manitoba has filed a lawsuit to block the project. The province worries about the potential transfer of harmful material into its waters. North Dakota officials say the fears are unfounded.

"NAWS would solve the problem," Caroline said. "But it could be a while. We've been waiting patiently since 1988 for the project to bring Missouri water up here."