Santa Fe's tap water contains 19 chemicals at levels above federally recommended health guidelines, according to a new report by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group.

But Brian K. Snyder, director of the Sangre de Cristo Water Division, which provides water to 70,000 plus city and county residents, said an initial review by his staff found the report's numbers don't add up.

Utilities test their water regularly for contaminants and report findings to the state Environment Department. "Our environmental compliance officer is looking at the reports we send to the New Mexico Environment Department," Snyder said Friday. "We've never had an exceedence for state level or federal level for any of these parameters."

He said the review is continuing at the request of city councilors, who are receiving calls from concerned residents. "We want to make sure we're not missing something they have in their report," Snyder said.

The report compiled data from the records of more than 47,000 drinking water systems from 45 states from 2004 to 2009. The data from Santa Fe in the report are from 2004 to 2006.

Snyder said his staff so far had looked only at the top seven contaminants listed in the report and none of the numbers matched the findings the water utility has reported to the state. Several of the contaminants are byproducts formed by the interaction of disinfectants with organic and inorganic matter in water. Arsenic, thallium and copper are among more than a dozen other contaminants and chemicals tested for in water. Snyder said it will take his staff a few more days to complete a review of their records.

The Hyde Park Estates water system had 14 chemicals above health advisory guidelines and the Eldorado Area Water and Sanitation District had four, according to the Environmental Working Group report.

ON THE WEB

• To view the report by the Environmental Working Group, go to www.ewg.org.