High lead levels in drinking water found in 7 Eastpointe homes - Detroit News
High lead levels in drinking water found in 7 Eastpointe homes
Hannah Mackay
Lead levels in drinking water in the city of Eastpointe have exceeded state action levels for the second time in a year, according to the state's environmental department.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy issued a notice to the city this week based on sampling from the first six months of the year. The department sampled 60 homes with lead service lines and found that seven had lead levels over the state standard of 15 ppb. The lead 90th percentile for the water supply is 22 parts per billion, which exceeds the Action Level of 15 ppb, a city news release said Tuesday.
The samples were collected under Michigan's Lead and Copper Rule, which requires sampling in buildings with lead service lines or pipes. A similar notice was issued to Eastpointe in October 2022. After last year's monitoring period, which ended on Dec. 31, the city's lead 90th percentile was 18 ppb, according to EGLE's data.
It is Eastpointe's fifth lead action level exceedance since the beginning of the Lead and Copper Rule, although three exceedances occurred in the 1990s, said EGLE spokesman Scott Dean.
On Tuesday, Eastpointe issued a public advisory for residents. No level of lead exposure is safe, but the state action level measures the effectiveness of corrosion control, the city said in the release. Since the city has lead service lines, it buys water with corrosion-control treatment from the Great Lakes Water Authority, Dean said.
"An 'Action Level exceedance' means that more than 10% of the homes tested have results over 15 ppb," the city said. "The exceedance triggers additional actions including, educational outreach to customers, ongoing sampling every six months and service line replacement."
The Macomb County Health Department said it would help Eastpointe distribute water filters and educate the public on lead safety.
Lead water service lines in all seven homes with drinking water lead levels over 15 ppb have been replaced, the city said. Free faucet and pitcher filters, and replacement cartridges are available to water customers with lead water service lines.
Residents can pick up faucet and pitcher water filters, and replacement filter cartridges during business hours at the Eastpointe Memorial Library, City Hall and Public Works Office. They can schedule a pick-up time outside of business days and hours by contacting the city manager's office at (586) 204-3032.
Filter cartridges should be replaced every two months.
"The Macomb County Health Department continues to support the city of Eastpointe’s filter distribution efforts to qualifying families and by providing public education on ways to lower exposure to lead," said Andrew Cox, director of Health and Community Services, in a news release Tuesday. "We strongly recommend that households with a child or pregnant woman in the city of Eastpointe use a certified lead filter to remove lead from their drinking water."
Lead can enter drinking water when lead-containing materials in water and plumbing systems corrodes, according to the county health department.
To reduce exposure to lead from drinking water, residents can replace faucets made before 2014 that meet the “NSF 61/9” standard, which protects against unsafe lead levels. They also can use cold, filtered or bottled water for cooking and preparing baby formula, and install water filters that are certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction.
Since 2020, Eastpointe has replaced 687 lead water-service lines and plans to replace another 100 in the 2023-24 fiscal year, according to the city's release.
Eastpointe is set to receive $10 million of American Rescue Plan funds for lead service line replacement under the 2023-2024 state budget, Dean said.
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