DETROIT – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI12) is calling on Gov. Rick Snyder and Great Lakes Water Authority CEO Sue F. McCormick for answers to residents' questions about the quality of tap water in Downriver communities.
UPDATE: Water authority says facility cleaning caused harmless taste, odor
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The GLWA released a statement Monday insisting the water has met recent EPA testing standards and is safe for consumption despite taste and odor issues. The water authority said turbidity is the cause of the taste and odor. According to the USGS, turbidity "is the measure of relative clarity of a liquid."
It is an optical characteristic of water and is an expression of the amount of light that is scattered by material in the water when a light is shined through the water sample. The higher the intensity of scattered light, the higher the turbidity. Material that causes water to be turbid include clay, silt, finely divided inorganic and organic matter, algae, soluble colored organic compounds, and plankton and other microscopic organisms.
But is it safe? From the USGS:
Turbidity can provide food and shelter for pathogens. If not removed, turbidity can promote re-growth of pathogens in the distribution system, leading to waterborne disease outbreaks, which have caused significant cases of gastroenteritis throughout the United States and the world. Although turbidity is not a direct indicator of health risk, numerous studies show a strong relationship between removal of turbidity and removal of protozoa. The particles of turbidity provide "shelter" for microbes by reducing their exposure to attack by disinfectants. Microbial attachment to particulate material has been considered to aid in microbe survival. Fortunately, traditional water treatment processes have the ability to effectively remove turbidity when operated properly. (Source: EPA)
Read more from the USGS on turbidity here.
This table from the EPA, "Table of Regulated Drinking Water Contaminants," lists microorganisms which can be found in water and what potential health risks they may create. Pathogens, which the USGS says can be found in water with turbidity, can mean the water was "inadequately treated" and "may contain disease-causing organisms, or pathogens. Pathogens include various types of bacteria, viruses, protozoan parasites, and other organisms," according to the EPA.
The GLWA said it tested for all of this:
Testing has also been completed for bacteria, and all results have returned negative for bacteria in the water. In addition we tested the Southwest Water Treatment Facility source and tap for volatile organic chemicals. The results indicated nothing unusual about the source or tap water. Furthermore, we collected and monitored for hardness, alkalinity, turbidity, fluoride, taste and odor in sample sites within the distribution system and monitored toxicity. Results indicate the water meets water quality criteria except for taste and odor.
READ: Great Lakes Water Authority's full statement
The water authority's initial assurance the water is safe was not enough to convince some communities. Cities like Gibraltar, Trenton and Woodhaven looked into the water for themselves.
"We started getting our sample kits together and started sampling on Saturday to send to an independent laboratory for testing," said Tim Neighbors. "All the tests came back negative."
Q&A: What we know about Downriver's water quality concerns
Pets getting sick
But even after more testing, residents still have concerns including several reports about pets getting sick after drinking the water. The congresswoman is now petitioning Lansing to help offer clarity to these concerned citizens.
In a letter to Snyder and McCormick on Tuesday, Dingell said Downriver residents "are rightfully questioning whether the water is safe to drink, cook with, and bathe in."
"We have also heard reports from constituents and their pets that have become severely ill after drinking tap water from the faucet," she wrote.
Dingell wants to know more about the testing, what's causing the reported odor issue, and more (read below).
Residents' complaints started piling up earlier this month. They have gone as far saying it smells like sulfur and tastes like sewage. Many told Local 4 their pets seem to have the worst problems with the tap water.
Kristina Bacon, of Trenton, said she was hesitant to drink her own tap water after her cats and dogs got sick last week.
"(My) big dog started vomiting and so did (my) little dog, so we said, 'No. no. We're switching to bottled (water),'" Bacon told Local 4.
Dingell listed eight questions on behalf of Downriver residents which she wants answered by the governor and GLWA boss -- here are those questions:
Dingell wrapped up her letter to Snyder and McCormick with the following:
"Thank you for your prompt attention to these questions which are on the mind of many Downriver residents. We stand ready to work with you and please advise if you need any assistance or resources from the federal government. We are copying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on this email to ensure that government at all levels is partnering to ensure the safety and health of Downriver residents is provided for. We look forward to receiving your response on this critical issue."
Here is the full letter (click here).
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