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| Just prior to the official warning regarding excess lead in some Wayne homes where lead service lines remain, Michigan State Sen. Darrin Camilleri and State Rep. Kevin Coleman visited the Wayne City Council to present a check for $4,900,000 to Mayor John Rhaesa. The money was designated in the new omnibus bill to fund the replacement of lead water lines in the city. The funding, officials said, will be available by or on Oct. 1 which will expedite the replacement of the water lines. |
According to a posted warning on the city and police media pages, recent testing of tap water in city homes found the water in more than 10 percent of the 60 homes reached the Action Level as specified by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. The Action Level is a measure of corrosion control effectiveness. The goal for lead in drinking water particles per billion (ppb) is 15. The Wayne results showed 16 ppb, according to the official posting.
Exposure to lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters the body from drinking water or other sources. Homes with lead service lines have an increased risk of having high lead levels in drinking water. According to Wayne officials, about 400 of the 5,950 water customers in the city still have lead service lines.
To reduce the risk, officials recommend residents who do not have a lead service line, run the cold water for 30 seconds to 2 minutes or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature. In those homes with lead service lines, residents should run the cold water for at least 5 minutes to flush water from the plumbing and service lines.
City officials suggested all residents use a filter to reduce lead in the drinking water, especially households with a child or where a child frequently visits. Filters should be tested and certified to NSJ/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction and Standard 42 for particulate reduction. Free certified lead reducing filters and replacement cartridges are available at the Wayne DPW to eligible households where there is a child under 18 or a pregnant person or a member of the household is enrolled in Medicaid or WIC or is unable to afford a filter.
Officials warned Wayne residents not to use hot water for drinking, preparing food, cooking or preparing baby formula. Residents should not boil the water as boiling will not reduce the amount of lead in the water. Residents were further advised to clean faucet aerators to remove any trapped debris.
Officials said testing of the city water would continue and samples would be collected from 60 sites every six months to determine the level of lead in the water.
Residents of the city can schedule blood testing for lead levels for children at their health care provider or call 866-610-3885 from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to make an appointment with the Wayne County Department of Health Human and Veterans Services.
The free water filters are available to eligible households between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at the DPW, 35200 Forest Ave. in Wayne.
