Just as we thought it was over, the Flint lead water crisis continues. During testing over the first half of this year, the level of lead in the city’s tap water has increased. State environmental officials attribute the spike to additional testing of businesses known to have lead in their service lines.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) recently shared the results of Flint’s Lead and Copper Rule testing, saying samples taken from 61 homes and businesses showed 90 percent registered lead readings of lead at or below 10 parts per billion (ppb).
The federal action level is currently set at 15 ppb, so the Flint results are lower than the 90th percentile. The most recent testing is the second consecutive water sampling period that showed an increase in samples higher than 15 ppb. The first half of 2022 registered at 10 ppb, while during the first six months of 2021, it was 3 ppb; the last half of 2021, 7 ppb.
In Michigan, the threshold for lead will increase from 12 ppb to 15 ppb starting in 2025. Currently, all public water systems are required to test tap water for lead and copper. If levels are found above 15 ppb in the system’s 90th percentile, actions must be taken to remediate the metals.
As for Flint, city officials have acknowledged that the water testing system was deeply flawed before the crisis of 2016. Federal regulations required the water to be tested in homes with lead service lines, but Flint failed to focus on these situations.
EGLE attributes the latest heightened test results to Flint’s increasing Tier 2 non-residential sites. Fewer homes have lead service lines, thanks to the city’s program to replace lead and galvanized steel water service lines in response to the crisis. More than 95 percent of Flint homes no longer have lead and/or copper in their service lines.
However, this has now triggered the addition of non-residential testing sites. Kris Donaldson, EGLE’s clean drinking water public advocate, said, “As Flint nears completion of its lead service line replacement program, we are seeing clear evidence that the focus will need to shift to interior plumbing and continued education on how to reduce lead exposures in the home as outlined on the state’s MI Lead Safe website.”
After the Flint water crisis, Michigan adopted the country’s toughest lead rules for drinking water in 2018. Now, all public water systems are required to replace an average of five percent of lead service lines every year for the next 20 years.
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Reynolds Water Conditioning was established in 1931 and is Michigan’s oldest water conditioning treatment company. Still owned and operated by the Reynolds family, we take pride in providing the highest quality products at a cost-effective price. If your tap water lacks the quality you deserve, contact us today at 800-572-9575.
Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/