HARPER WOODS, Mich. – The city of Harper Woods, which conducts testing of tap water in homes for lead and copper yearly, collected water samples from 30 homes this past summer, which indicated high levels of lead.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) evaluate compliance with the Action Level based on the 90th percentile of all lead and copper results collected in each round of sampling.
Officials say that lead in the 90th percentile for the city’s water supply is 47 parts per billion (PPB), which exceeds the action level (measuring corrosion control effectiveness) of 15 ppb.
An action level exceedance means that more than 10% of the homes tested have results over 15 ppb. The exceedance triggers additional actions, including educational outreach to customers, ongoing sampling every six months, and service line replacement.
Four of the 30 homes were over the action level for lead, which is why Harper Woods is sharing ways to reduce your exposure to lead since lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water and other sources.
Officials say the most important thing you could do is learn how lead gets into drinking water and what your risk may be.
- Lead can enter drinking water when in contact with pipes, solder, home, building interior plumbing, fittings, and fixtures that contain lead.
- Homes with lead service lines have an increased risk of having high lead levels in drinking water.
- The more time water sits in your home’s pipes, the more lead it may contain.
- If your water has not been used for several hours, run the water before using it for drinking or cooking. It flushes lead-containing water from the pipes.
- Additional flushing may be required for homes that have been vacant or have a longer service line.
Officials suggest running your water to flush out lead-containing water. If you do not have a lead service line, run the water for 30 seconds to two minutes or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature.
For those with a lead service line, officials say you should run the water for at least five minutes to flush water from your home or building’s plumbing’s and the lead service line.
Everyone can also consider using a filter to reduce lead in drinking water which the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recommends residents use a certified lead-reducing drinking water filter if their home has or if they are uncertain if it has lead or galvanized plumbing, a lead service line carrying water from the street to their residence, or old faucets and fittings that were sold before 2014.
Residents who receive water from Harper Woods are eligible for a filter for free if they live in a home where a Medicaid-enrolled child under 19 or a Medicaid-enrolled pregnant person resides.
Harper Woods, in conjunction with Wayne County, will be holding a water filter distribution event on Thursday (Nov. 2) and Friday (Nov. 3) at the Harper Woods NEDC Building in the 20010 block of Kelly Road from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
