7/21/16
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice of Lead/Copper Tap Water Results
Sample Locations: 30 Properties built between 1983-88 Dates Collected: 6/21/2016 – 7/11/2016
We would like to thank those that participated in the lead tap monitoring program. Below is the 90th percentile lead/copper results for the City of Green River’s Water Distribution System. Additional general information concerning lead/copper in drinking water follows. For more information on reducing lead exposure around your home and the health effects of lead, visit EPA’s Web site at www.epa.gov/lead, call the National Lead Information Center at 800-424-LEAD, or contact your health care provider.
If you need more information concerning the results, please call the City of Green River Utility Division at 307-872-0548 and ask for Jason Palmer or contact him by email at jpalmer@cityofgreenriver.org.
The 90 percentile lead value for our community water supply was 0.005 mg/L.
This result is BELOW the lead action level of 0.015 mg/L.
What Does This Mean?
Under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA set the action level for lead in drinking water at 15 ppb. This means utilities must ensure that water from the customer’s tap does not exceed this level in at least 90 percent of the homes sampled (90th percentile value). The action level is the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. If water from the tap does exceed this limit, then the utility must take certain steps to correct the problem. Because lead may pose serious health risks, the EPA set a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) of zero for lead. The MCLG is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Lead levels may be due to conditions unique to your home, such as the presence of lead solder or brass faucets, fittings and valves that may contain lead. Our system works to keep the corrosivity of our water as low as possible (corrosive water can cause lead to leach from plumbing materials that contain lead) and there are actions you can take to reduce exposure. We strongly urge you to take the steps below to reduce your exposure to lead in drinking water.
If in the future lead 90th percentile for the community water supply exceed the lead action level, you can rest assure that we will take a number of steps to correct the problem. Such steps would include; monitor our source water, initiate controls to reduce the corrosivity of our water (corrosive water can cause lead to leach from plumbing materials that contain lead).
What Are The Health Effects of Lead?
Lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water or other sources. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys, and can interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults. Lead is stored in the bones, and it can be released later in life. During pregnancy, the child receives lead from the mother’s bones, which may affect brain development.
What Are The Sources of Lead?
The primary sources of lead exposure for most children are deteriorating lead-based paint, lead-contaminated dust, and lead-contaminated residential soil. Exposure to lead is a significant health concern, especially for young children and infants whose growing bodies tend to absorb more lead than the average adult. Lead is rarely found in source water, but enters tap water through corrosion of plumbing materials. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures and solder.
What Can I Do To Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water?
If you are concerned about the lead levels at your location, there are several things you can do:
• Run your water to flush out lead. If water hasn’t been used for several hours, run water for 15-30 seconds or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature before using it for drinking or cooking. This will help flush lead-containing water from the pipes.
• Use cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula. Do not cook with or drink water from the hot water tap; lead dissolves more easily into hot water. Do not use water from the hot water tap to make baby formula.
• Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead.
• Look for alternative sources or treatment of water.
• Test your water for lead. Call us at the number above to find out how to get your water tested for lead.
• Identify if your plumbing fixtures contain lead. New brass faucets, fittings, and valves, including those advertised as “lead-free,” may contribute lead to drinking water. The law currently allows end-use brass fixtures, such as faucets, with up to 8% lead to be labeled as “lead free.” Consumers should be aware of this when choosing fixtures and take appropriate precautions.
COPPER IN YOUR WATER
The 90 percentile copper value for our community water supply was 1.13 mg/L.
This result is BELOW the copper action level of 1.3 mg/L.
How can I reduce my exposure to copper?
Copper works its way into the water by dissolving from copper pipes in the household plumbing. The longer the water has stood idle in the pipes, the more copper it is likely to have absorbed. (Newer homes with copper pipes may be more likely to have a problem. Over time, a coating forms on the inside of the pipes and can insulate the water from the copper in the pipes. In newer homes, this coating has not yet had a chance to develop.) Thus, anytime the water has not been used for more than six hours—overnight, for example, or during the day when people have been gone to work or school— it should be cleared from the pipes before being used for drinking or cooking.
This can be achieved by letting the cold water faucet run until you can feel the water getting colder—usually 30 to 60 seconds. This must be done before taking drinking water from any faucet in the house.
In addition, hot water dissolves copper more quickly than cold water; as a result, water to be used for drinking or cooking should not be drawn from the hot water tap. If you need hot water for cooking or drinking, take water from the cold tap and heat it. It is especially important not to use the hot water for making baby formula.