(WXYZ) — The city of Hazel Park said three of 30 homes tested recently had elevated lead levels.
According to the city, they collected sample homes from 30 targeted sites with known lead service lines. Three of homes homes had lead levels higher than the action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb).
The city said that after, they conducted emergency lead service replacement.
According to the city, they submitted samples from the emergency repair for testing, and the test showed a site that exceeded the action level.
During the monitoring period, the city of Hazel Park also had four of 31 sites report elevated lead results, one of which was an emergency lead service reapir site.
The city also said that the 90th percentile for the city is 16 ppb, which exceeds the action level.
"This does not mean every customer has exceeded lead levels. An Action Level exceedance means that more than 10% of the samples tested under the new testing method have elevated lead levels," the city said in a release.
The city will be holding an information meeting from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Hazel Park City Hall on Friday, Oct. 25. During that time, the Oakland County Health Division will distribute free lead filters if you have a child or pregnant woman at your home, or you can't afford the cost of a lead filter.
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 for 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.
Check whether your home has a lead service line. You can contact the City’s Water Department at (248) 546-4076 for this information. Anyone with health-related questions can contact the Oakland County Nurse on call at (800) 848-5533 or noc@oakgov.com.
Below are some recommended actions to help reduce lead exposure.
- 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 at least five minutes to flush water from your home of building’s plumbing and the lead service line.
- Consider using a filter to reduce lead in drinking water. Public health recommends that any household with a child or pregnant woman use a certified lead filter to remove lead from their drinking water.
- Look for filters that are tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction.
- Be sure to maintain and replace the filter device in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions to protect water quality.
- If your household has a child or pregnant woman and are not able to afford the cost of a lead filter, please contact your County Health Department.
- Use cold water for drinking, cooking, or preparing baby formula.
- Do not boil your water as boiling will not reduce the amount of lead in water.
- Clean your faucet aerator to remove trapped debris.
