City officials feel exonerated by a third-party review that said the city did not act irresponsibly in withholding from the state results of lead tests taken last summer from Durham water taps.

Durham was not irresponsible in its handling of lead test data, the review says.

The state has officially declared that Durham's water system exceeded acceptable lead levels in 2006, a ruling city leaders expected but are weighing whether to appeal.

Public records helped reveal selective reporting of test results.

State water regulators have cited the city of Durham for failing to test its water last year for volatile organic compounds.

Electronic records differ from written.

As questions swirled about the safety of Durham's drinking water and lead contamination over the last year, Terry Rolan, the city's water management director, was often out of town. Some City Council members said this week that Rolan's absences were excessive.

In little more than a year, Terry Rolan, director of Durham's water management, has traveled widely on behalf of the American Water Works Association, an industry trade group of which he is the national president. According to Rolan's calendar a

The Environmental Protection Agency has asked to see the city's testing documents.