Topeka officials are talking about making improvements to the city's water purification process after struggling to comply with new, stricter guidelines.
Water in Topeka itself is still in compliance.
But three suppliers who receive water from the city recently received notice from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment that their levels of halo-acetic acids were higher than the state allows.
The difference between Topeka and its suppliers could be tied to testing differences.
As smaller distributors, rural districts usually test once per quarter.
Topeka utilities superintendent Don Rankin says the city tests every two weeks.
Haloacetic acids are byproducts created from chlorine water filtration.
The Environmental Protection Agency has identified the possibility that some people who drink water containing high levels of the acids over several decades could have an increased risk of cancer.
City officials indicated in a news release that they had seen the problem coming and are considering options.
