The drinking water in Raleigh is getting even safer.

A new lab opened up Wednesday to expand the city’s ability to test its water. It marks a change that's been decades in the making.

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It’s the first new water quality testing lab in the city since 1967. A lot has changed since then, and this building is up to the task. On Wednesday, they cut the ribbon on the $16 million project.

WRAL News got a tour inside the 15,000-square-foot building. Inside, there's more space for these labs to expand their water testing capabilities. More than 52,000 water samples are tested each year (52,664 water samples tested annually) in effort to identify 71 different substances.

Right now, they serve 650,000 people in Wake County. The site will help them keep up with water testing as the area continues to grow.

And with that expansion comes more precise testing for any contaminants in the water supply.

"When I started in this business, one of the lower concentrations you would ever see in the water quality test is parts per million," Assistant Director of Raleigh Water Ed Buchan said. "It is now parts per trillion. So we are now getting new equipment, new methods that we can run tests down to these extremely low levels."

Asked about the discussion of fluoride -- the addition has been a state mandate since 1949 -- Buchan says removing it is as easy as shutting off a valve.

Water requirements are made at a federal level with state officials deciding on permits. No matter what happens, Buchan said Raleigh Water will comply. Whether it’s checking for lead, copper or the 69 other substances that can make its way into our water, this crew will catch it.

"You really have a better idea of what’s in you're drinking water and what you need to do to make sure it’s safe," Buchan said.

One other thing this plant will help with is the taste of water. You might remember around this time last year when the water tasted odd. That was because of an algae bloom.

Buchan said the plant will help spot that sooner so they can treat the water to eliminate any bad tastes or odors associated with those blooms.