THREE RIVERS, Mich. — The city of Three Rivers said Thursday that it recently found more lead service lines throughout the community.
It has been conducting testing of tap water in homes for lead and copper since 1992, in accordance with the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act.
The Michigan Lead and Copper Rule was changed in 2018, to better protect the health of Michiganders— adding new rules regarding sample site selection and sampling methodology to better detect possible lead in drinking water.
The rule changes require communities with known lead service lines to collect a first liter sample that tests lead levels in the plumbing, along with a fifth liter sample testing lead levels in the service line.
The city says the new sampling method was expected to show higher lead results— not because the water source or quality of water has changed, but because the sampling procedures are more stringent.
Recently, the city collected first and fifth liter samples from 47 homes, and six homes had results over 15 parts per billion (ppb).
The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) evaluates compliance with the Action Level based on the 90th percentile of lead and cooper results collected in each round of sampling.
The lead 90th percentile for the city’s water supply is 19 ppb, exceeding the Action Level of 15 ppb.
The “Action Level” is a measure of corrosion control effectiveness, not a health-based standard— the goal for lead in drinking water is 0 ppb because there is no safe level of lead in the blood.
An “Action Level Exceedance” means that more than ten percent of the homes tested have results over 15 ppb— which triggers additional actions, including educational outreach to customers, ongoing sampling every six months, assessing the corrosivity of the water and service line replacement.
The city says everyone should consider using a filter to reduce lead in their drinking water.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recommends using a certified lead filter— NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for particulate reduction (Class I)— especially in homes built after 1987 or homes with children, a pregnant woman or someone with high blood pressure.
MDHHS recommends residents get new filters six months after the initial filter distribution.
After that, MDHHS estimates residents will need to replace filter cartridges every four months.
The department is offering free certified lead-reducing filters and replacement cartridges to eligible households.
The following criteria make a household eligible:
- A child under 18 or a pregnant woman lives in the home
- A child visits the home frequently
- A member o the home is enrolled in Medicaid or WIC
- The household is unable to afford a filter
Community members can get filters at:
- City of Three Rivers Department of Public Services— 1015 S. Lincoln Avenue— Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.
- Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency— 1110 Hill Street— Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.
In the meantime, the city says to do the following:
- Do not use hot water for drinking, preparing food or cooking, preparing baby formula.
- Do not boil your water because boiling will not reduce the amount lead in the water.
- Clean your faucet aerator to remove trapped debris.
- Check whether your home has a lead service line. Homes with lead service lines have an increased risk of having high lead levels in drinking water.
The city of Three Rivers say it will soon send a comprehensive public education document about lead in drinking water and plans to collect at least 40 samples every six months.
If you are a Three Rivers water customer and want your service line inspected, call the Department of Public Services at 269-273-1845.
