City of Hamtramck issued the following announcement on Oct 20.
Each year the City of Hamtramck conducts testing of tap water in homes for lead and copper. As required by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), lead and copper samples are collected from homes that have lead service lines. We recently collected samples from 42 homes.
The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy evaluates compliance with the Action Level based on the 90th percentile of lead and copper results collected in each round of sampling. The lead 90th percentile for the City’s water supply is 17 parts per billion (ppb), which exceeds the Action Level of 15 ppb.
The “Action Level” is not a health-based standard, but it is a level that triggers additional actions including, but not limited to, increased investigative sampling of water quality and educational outreach to customers in accordance with the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act. The goal for lead in drinking water is 0 ppb; there is no safe level of lead in the blood.
The City of Hamtramck has partnered with Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to distribute one free water filter with replacement cartridges, per address, to Hamtramck residents on October 21, 2021 from 11am until 2 pm in the Hamtramck Town Center parking lot located at 9521 Joseph Campau. Additional distribution events will be scheduled and posted in the upcoming weeks.
Because six sites were over the Action Level for lead, the City of Hamtramck would like to share some ways you can reduce your exposure to lead since lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water and other sources.
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 has been sitting in your home’s pipes, the more lead it may contain. Therefore, if your water has not been used in several hours, run the water before using it for drinking or cooking. This flushes lead-containing water from the pipes. Additional flushing may be required for homes that have been vacant or have a longer service line.
Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Exposure to Lead in Your Water
- Run 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.
- ► If you do have a lead service line, run the water for three to five minutes to flush water from your home or building’s plumbing and the lead service line.
- Everyone can consider using a filter to reduce lead in drinking water. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recommends that any household with a child or pregnant woman use cold water and a certified lead filter to remove lead from their drinking water, especially when preparing baby formula.
- Look for filters that are tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction.
- For filters to work properly, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- If your household has a child or pregnant woman and you are not able to afford the cost of a lead filter, please contact the Wayne County Health Department.
- Use cold tap water for drinking, cooking or preparing food, or preparing baby
- Do not boil your water as boiling will not reduce the amount of lead in
- Clean your faucet aerator to remove trapped debris.
In 2019, The City of Hamtramck began a Lead Service Line replacement program. EGLE has mandated that all Michigan cities replace every lead service line within their community over the next several years. By December 2021, the City will have completed over 300 Lead Service Line replacements.
If you are a City of Hamtramck water customer and would like your service line inspected or would like to have your drinking water tested for lead, please contact the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Drinking Water Hotline for free water testing. Call MDHHS at 844-934-1315.
If any resident wants their child’s blood screened for Lead or a test for themselves, you may go through your own health care provider or you can schedule an appointment with the Wayne County Healthy Communities local office. This office is also offering COVID-19 vaccinations, and childhood immunizations.
9021 Joseph Campau Ave,
Hamtramck, MI 48212
Phone: 313-871-1926
If you are operating a food establishment such a store, restaurant, bar, or food manufacturing establishment, please visit www.michigan.gov/mdardleadinfo for specific information for food firms. Additional information regarding lead can be found at The City Hamtramck’s website, https://hamtramck.us or at EGLE websites: Michigan.gov/EGLELeadPublicAdvisory or Michigan.gov/MILeadSafe.
Original source can be found here.
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