AMSTERDAM — Lead levels exceeding federal standards were again detected in water samples collected from homes with lead service lines in Amsterdam.
City officials were clear that the water supply is not contaminated.
“The majority of our residents don't have to worry about their drinking water,” Mayor Michael Cinquanti said Wednesday. “The contamination is taking place after we treat our water. It’s where the lead lines service the homes.”
“The drinking water is absolutely safe to consume. I drink it everyday and I wouldn't if I didn't think so,” said Randy Gardinier, chief water plant operator for Amsterdam. “These results are not reflective of the work our water professionals do.”
Lead was detected at 28 parts per billion in the 90th percentile sample collected by the city in March. Lead is not to exceed 15 parts per billion, which is the action level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
A total of 60 samples were collected from homes known to have lead service lines, in accordance with testing requirements. Lead was detected in water samples from nine sites. The other 51 were lead free.
“For the majority, there was no lead found,” Gardinier said. “In certain homes, we’re finding it more than others. Sometimes, it’s the composition of the plumbing or it could be how the sample was taken or it could be how far the home is from the street and how long their service line is. There are so many factors.”
Residents in homes with lead lines or plumbing can reduce their risk of contamination by running their water for several minutes before using it to flush out any traces of lead. The naturally occurring metal is more likely to leach into water that has sat unused in pipes for extended periods.
Officials provided education to residents of the homes where lead was detected and offered them Brita water filters. Some of the residents already had filters and only two families accepted the systems from the city, Gardinier said.
Exposure to lead even at low levels can be harmful to human health in all age groups, according to the EPA. Children are especially vulnerable to the toxic metal, which can cause physical and behavioral effects.
“People can do something immediately to reduce any kind of concern they may have,” Cinquanti said. “They can reduce the risk of lead contamination by simply flushing the line before using the water.”
Officials were disappointed by the results of the first lead testing performed since the city completed a $1.32 million corrosion control project at the water treatment plant last year.
The project was aimed at limiting lead from leaching out of service lines and plumbing in homes containing the metal. Equipment and chemical upgrades will increase the alkalinity of the water — or its ability to resist acidity and maintain a stable pH level in the city’s water supply.
Regular lead testing had been suspended until the city addressed known corrosion issues with its water supply after lead was previously detected at 16 parts per billion in April 2018 and 21 parts per billion in September 2018.
Gardinier learned from officials with the state Department of Health and EPA that the initial results following the completion of the project are not unusual and it can take time for the updated chemistry to take hold to inhibit corrosion in individual lines.
“It can take more time to help with the lead results,” Gardinier said. “It was a little bit more of a surprise to me because we haven't gone through this before.”
The city will continue maintaining and monitoring system-wide water quality for the time being and will repeat lead testing in August. Gardinier expects additional samples will be taken from the most recent collection sites with permission from owners.
“At that point, we’ll have more data from our increased sampling to look at and to determine are there further chemistry adjustments that we could make,” Gardinier said.
Additionally, the city is in the process of identifying the materials of service lines across the city to develop an inventory of lead lines by October, as required by the EPA and NYSDOH.
Several appeals seeking participation in a public survey have resulted in around 600 homes being inventoried, leaving around 5,000 outstanding.
The city will receive help with the inventory and public education in the coming weeks after being selected for the EPA’s Get the Lead Out Initiative. The initiative will also provide grant writing assistance to seek funding to cover the cost of replacing lead lines.
“When we get grant money, if we don't know somebody has a lead service line, we can't replace it for them and that’s work that will be done free of charge,” Gardinier said. He encouraged residents to participate in the survey or to contact the water department to determine whether they have lead service lines.
Replacing lead lines is integral to the overall goal of reducing lead in water at city homes. A $521,785 state grant was used last year to replace the entire length of 51 residential lines at no cost to homeowners.
“We have unacceptable levels of lead in the homes in our city that are supplied by lead lines … we want the level to be zero,” Cinquanti said. “We are in this to win this. We don't want lead in our water and we’re doing everything we can … we are looking for funding all the time and hoping more will be available.”
