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1. Run the tap till it’s cold.
2.
Never consume hot water from
Where can I get more information? You can call and talk with us at 702-6006. Click here for updates on the lead replacement program and more information about lead in drinking water. You can call the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. The BWL Web site and the EPA Hotline will provide links to more information.
Answers to Your Questions About Across the country, water utilities have been talking to customers about potential danger from lead in drinking water.
How does lead enter our bodies? Lead is a metal known to be harmful to human health if inhaled or ingested. Too much lead in the human body can cause serious damage to the brain, kidneys, nervous system and red blood cells. The greatest risk, even with short-term exposure, is to pregnant women and young children under the age of six.
There are numerous sources for lead in our environment: lead-based paints, air, dust and soil. Although not generally a main source of exposure, lead can also enter the body through drinking water. Lead levels in drinking water are likely to be highest:
·
In homes with lead service lines connecting the water main to · In homes with lead indoor plumbing · In homes that have copper plumbing with lead solder · In homes that have brass plumbing fixtures
How can I minimize exposure There are two simple rules everyone should use to minimize exposure:
1. Run water at
the tap for 30 seconds to two minutes
2. Because hot
water causes lead to leach faster, never use
The Board of Water & Light advises all water customers, even those without lead services, those who have wells, or those served by other water utilities, to flush their lines until the water runs cold at the tap before drinking it. That’s because interior plumbing components such as solder and brass fixtures can also contain lead. There is no detectable lead in Board of Water & Light water as it leaves the conditioning plant. The problem occurs when water is allowed to stagnate in contact with a lead component for six hours or more, allowing excess amounts of lead to leach into the water. It’s been our experience that when water services are flushed as advised, lead is undetectable in water at the tap.
What’s the Board of Water & Light Lead was used in water services as an industry standard for many years. So it’s a national issue, not an issue unique to the Board of Water & Light. Lead service lines are the pipes that connect your house to the water main in the street. The BWL has been voluntarily replacing its lead services since 1992 in certain circumstances (such as when the service was damaged) and in conjunction with Lansing’s Combined Sewer Overflow project (which ripped up streets and provided access to service lines). In the last four years the BWL has spent about a half million dollars a year to replace lead service pipes.
Since 1997 the BWL has also maintained a corrosion control program. With this program, phosphate is added to the water in conjunction with the water conditioning process. Together, they help prevent lead from leaching into the water.
The Board of Water & Light continues to be in compliance with all state and federal drinking water regulations. Recently, Board of Water & Light management and its citizen board of commissioners decided to go beyond what is required by federal and state regulations. Acting on the assumption that less lead is better for customers, commissioners voted to accelerate its lead service replacement program. Within ten years we’ll replace all remaining 14,000 lead service lines in the BWL water system. The total cost of the replacement project is expected be between $30 and $40 million.
The BWL will use the following
1.
Schools, day cares and sensitive populations as identified by United 2. Water test sample results for lead over 15 ppb (parts per billion). 3. Concentrated areas of lead service pipes. 4. Length of lead service pipe.
Can I get my water tested? Arrangements can be made for water testing through the Ingham County Health Department. Their phone number is 887-4312. A test costs about $20. |
