FAIRBANKS — The University of Alaska Fairbanks says its drinking water is safe, but recent tests showed it exceeds federal limits for chemicals formed when chlorine interacts with organic material in the water, known as “trihalomethanes,” by 19 percent.

“The most important thing to understand is that our campus water is safe to drink. You don’t need to do anything different regarding your water. If it was not safe, we would be required by law to tell you that,” Scott Bell, the director of facilities services, said in a note to students Wednesday.

He said the university hopes to install new filters to remove much of the organic matter by the end of May. That should lead to a reduction in the amount of chlorine and trihalomethanes.  

The university increased its use of chlorine from 20 parts per billion to 25 parts per billion in December because a routine test showed higher bacteria levels than desired. The higher chlorine and higher levels of organic matter created the problem, he said.

It’s not the reason UAF water tastes bad, according to the department. The EPA has a drinking water standard of 80 parts per billion for trihalomethanes and the most recent one-year average at UAF was 95 parts per billion.

Bell said those who are pregnant, have a compromised immune system, have an infant or are elderly should check with their doctors, according to advice from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA says that some people who drink water containing total trihalomethanes at high levels “over many years could experience liver, kidney, or central nervous system problems and increased risk of cancer.” UAF says it is a short-term problem.

“It’s common for drinking water that is disinfected with chlorine, like ours, to contain some trihalomethanes. The EPA sets limits on how much TTHM can be in drinking water based on a yearlong average. Our water quality tests in the first quarter of 2015 caused that average to exceed federal limits by about 19 percent,” Bell wrote.

“In the meantime, it is safe to continue using campus water for bathing, drinking and cooking,” Bell said.