Connections

Over the last several months, we've talked to our customers a lot about lead in drinking water.

Although we've always been under the Environmental Protection Agency's action level for lead content in drinking water, our testing in 2001 and 2002 indicated we were nearing that point. And so, we've made a commitment to remove all lead service lines in our system and to talk to our customers candidly and often on the issue of lead in drinking water.

  If the water service line feeding your
  house is constructed of lead all the way
  from the main to the house, we would
  like to include it in our sampling
  program this year, and offer this
  service free of charge to you.

According to the EPA, lead is dangerous, especially in young children.

If not detected early, children with high levels of lead in their blood can suffer damage to the brain and nervous system, behavior and learning problems, slowed growth, and other problems. Health experts agree that the greatest danger of exposure to lead comes from chips and dust from old paint used up until 1978. But lead in drinking water can also be a minor source of exposure.

The EPA rule covering lead in drinking water is complicated and different from rules covering most substances. To begin with, lead isn't commonly found in source water and doesn't get into tap water until the water leaves the main in the street and enters the customer's property. All water is corrosive to some degree and lead can dissolve into the drinking water if the water stands still for extended periods of time in lead pipes, copper plumbing joined by lead solder, or even brass fixtures which contain some lead.

Because of these facts the EPA lead rule is designed to make sure the corrosiveness of drinking water is reduced as much as possible so that lead doesn't dissolve into it.


	Over the last several months, we've talked to our customers a lot about lead in drinking water. Although we've always been under the Environmental Protection Agency's action level for lead content in drinking water, our testing in 2001 and 2002 indicated we were nearing that point. And so, we've made a commitment to remove all lead service lines in our system and to talk to our customers candidly and often on the issue of lead in drinking water. If the water service line feeding your house is constructed of lead all the way from the main to the house, we would like to include it in our sampling program this year, and offer this service free of charge to you. According to the EPA, lead is dangerous, especially in young children. If not detected early, children with high levels of lead in their blood can suffer damage to the brain and nervous system, behavior and learning problems, slowed growth, and other problems. Health experts agree that the greatest danger of exposure to lead comes from chips and dust from old paint used up until 1978. But lead in drinking water can also be a minor source of exposure. The EPA rule covering lead in drinking water is complicated and different from rules covering most substances. To begin with, lead isn't commonly found in source water and doesn't get into tap water until the water leaves the main in the street and enters the customer's property. All water is corrosive to some degree and lead can dissolve into the drinking water if the water stands still for extended periods of time in lead pipes, copper plumbing joined by lead solder, or even brass fixtures which contain some lead. Because of these facts the EPA lead rule is designed to make sure the corrosiveness of drinking water is reduced as much as possible so that lead doesn't dissolve into it.		The rule requires that a certain number of samples be taken at customer taps after the water has been sitting idle in pipes for six hours or longer. If more than ten percent of the tap water samples have lead concentrations above 15 parts per billion (ppb), the action level is exceeded and the utility must take certain actions. These include taking more steps to reduce the water's corrosiveness and starting a public education program about how people can reduce lead exposure. If the utility stays over the action level for two straight sampling periods, it must also begin removing lead water service lines from its system. Even though we're under the action level, we're taking all these actions proactively. This summer, the BWL will conduct a new round of water sampling inside the homes of many of our customers. The results of the sampling will determine whether our utility remains under EPA's lead action level. The EPA rule requires us to take samples in at least 43 homes. Because of the importance given to the issue of lead service lines in our community, we intend to take samples well beyond the minimum number required. If the water service line feeding your house is constructed of lead all the way from the main to the house, we would like to include it in our sampling program this year, and offer this service free of charge to you. The offer applies only to homes with “full lead” service lines because these are the ones EPA says must be included in our sampling program. To sign up for a free lead sample, or to find out if your home is served by a “full lead” service line, call our Customer Service Center at 702-6006. Our sampling will take place in June through September, 2005. Homes with partial lead service lines will not qualify for free sampling but homeowners can pick up sample containers, receive sampling guidance and instructions for laboratory submittal by contacting the Ingham County Health Department at 887-4312. Your $16 will include the cost of analysis and reporting the result.
	There are lots of products available to help ensure your lights are on only when you need them. Install timers that automatically turn lights off and on according to your needs. You can also use motion detectors on your outdoor fixtures for safety and to prevent lights from being on all night. If you want your outdoor lights on after dark but don't want to bother about adjusting timer settings as the seasons change, there are also products available. Look for outdoor lighting products equipped with photo cells or photo sensors to turn on the lights when it gets dark and turn them off again when the sun comes up. BWL is an ENERGY STAR^® Partner. Click here more energy saving information.

	Our spring Adopt A River cleanup will be held Saturday, April 23 from 8 a.m. to noon, with registration at the Shiawassee Street Bridge behind Lansing City Market. This year there's an extra reason for showing up at Adopt A River cleanup headquarters. We'll have a collection of 100 fruit trees on hand, ready for planting, and at very affordable prices ranging from $12.50 to $14 per tree. Better yet, if you're a BWL customer, we'll knock $10 off the price. Just clip the coupon at the bottom of this issue of Connections, and bring it with you to Adopt A River headquarters Saturday, April 23 between 8 a.m. and noon.		All three species are appropriate for growing in mid Michigan's climate, and at their adult height, won't interfere with utility power lines, which is also a big concern of ours. The BWL's forester will also be on hand to provide you with helpful information about how the right kind of trees, planted in the right locations, can help you save on energy while helping the environment. You don't have to participate in the river cleanup to purchase a tree, but you're certainly welcome to do that as well. It all happens Saturday, April 23 at the Shiawassee Street bridge behind the City Market in downtown Lansing. For more information about this Spring's Adopt A River cleanup, or to pre-register, contact the Ingham Conservation District at 676-2290.