REDFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Officials in Redford Township are alerting residents about elevated lead levels in the water.
The township clarified that lead is not present in its water mains, but they have identified lead service lines within the community.
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Residents are urged to take the following precautions:
- Run your water to flush out lead. The more time water has been sitting in your home’s pipes, the more lead it may contain. Therefore, if your water has not been used for several hours, run the water before using it for drinking or cooking. This flushes lead-containing water from the pipes. 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. If you do have a lead service line, run the water for at least five minutes to flush water from both the interior building plumbing and the lead service line.
- Use cold water for drinking and cooking. Do not cook with or drink water from the hot water tap; lead dissolves more easily into hot water.
- Use cold water for preparing baby formula. Do not use water from the hot water tap to make baby formula. If you have a lead service line, consider using bottled water or a filter certified to reduce lead to prepare baby formula.
- Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead levels.
- Consider using a filter to reduce lead in drinking water. Some options include a pour through pitcher or faucet-mount systems. Read packaging to find a filter that meets NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for the reduction of lead. If the label does not specifically mention lead reduction, check the Performance Data Sheet included with the device. Be sure to maintain and replace the filter device in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions to protect water quality.
- Consider purchasing bottled water. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates bottled water. The bottled water standard for lead is 5 ppb.