Moscow - water quality and mold? (Idaho Falls, Deary: houses, dorms, college)

[vaidpa]

I am looking at possibly moving to Moscow and have read a bit on this forum and other internet sites. I saw one person comment that a lot of the houses have a mold problem, and also that the water quality is terrible. The commenter said that the water left residue all over everything and that in general the water quality was terrible and that his family used only bottled water. Is this anyone else's experience in Moscow?

[the hudge]

The City of Moscow should be paying us to drink the water.
We use bottled water to cook with, and, distill and filter our own drinking water. Oh yea, and I am on the "good well".

[banjomike]

The water has a rusty taste. how rusty all depends on the place and the day, it seems.

It's pretty notorious; my mother went to the U of I in the 40's and complained about it, I went to the U 0f I over 20 years later and did the same, and on it goes. A water softener is a very good thing in Moscow.
An engineering student in one of the dorms made his own when I was there, and everyone on the floor got their drinking water from him.

Its a hilly town, so there could be some mold problems in the low spots.

[vaidpa]

Darn. That is disappointing to hear. I was hoping that one commenter was just a fluke experience.

[vaidpa]

Although I do use a water softener here in PA as well as filters on kitchen faucet and shower heads, so if that would fix it, I'd be okay with that.

[the hudge]

No, not a fluke. There are two main wells that service the city. One covers the north and east side of town. The other, south and west. U of I is sorta south west. That is the original (late 1800s) well and comes with all the old pipes and stuff. I also think it is the non-renewable well. One day it will go dry, as it is beneath a lava flow. The newer well (don't know the date) is a bit better but still ain't good and it is renewable.

I have heard of some mold issues, and a particular bad black mold infested house in Deary (about 22 miles east).
I'm from Florida and we had mold there also. So it happens but I have not heard of any crazy wide spread issues.
Now Radon Gas? That's another story.

I have been here for three years and I'm just hanging out here till a task is completed, bout two more years; then off to Shangri la.

[vaidpa]

Disappointing. I've done some research and was kind of excited about Moscow, but now am rethinking.

[Keim]

I've lived in Moscow for twenty years. As stated, water quality varies by well. The water in my house leaves no residue and is very good tasting.

I wouldn't base my relocation decision on the water. Just check it when you are looking at a residence.

Mold? Haven't heard of anything out of the ordinary.

[vaidpa]

Thanks for that reality check, Keim. I shouldn't let it outweigh all the good stuff I have learned about Moscow, especially if it is possible to find places to live where it isn't a problem.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by vaidpa

Thanks for that reality check, Keim. I shouldn't let it outweigh all the good stuff I have learned about Moscow, especially if it is possible to find places to live where it isn't a problem.

I never disliked Moscow's water nearly as much as the water in Reno. I lived there for a month, and Reno's water might be safe, but it was sure nasty to drink. I find Portland's water worse, too.

Moscow lies in one of the prettiest spots in the state if you like diverse scenery. I really enjoyed my years there, and some of my old friends from Idaho Falls moved there permanently after they attended college at the U of I.

It's lively, like a lot of small college towns are, and the weather is pleasant year round, other than winter fog and snow- but that's all part of life in the panhandle. With Washington State U only 9 miles away in Pullman, it has a lot more activities of all kinds than the average small town. The pair of small towns really makes a lot of cool stuff happen!