New test results show Syracuse’s drinking water meets federal lead standards. The news should ease the concerns of those who’ve called for the city to declare a state of emergency over previous but flawed sampling that showed high levels of lead.
The city says the new samples were taken at 130 homes with lead service lines between August and October. Results from an independent testing lab showed lead levels at 12 parts per billion, under the EPA action level of 15 parts per billion. Only five properties exceeded that level. Onondaga County health Commissioner Dr. Kathryn Anderson says samples collected earlier this year showing high lead levels were inaccurate.
“The results that have just come out put us back to where we've been for years," Anderson said. "So it's reassuring to me that nothing has significantly changed in our water and that there's nothing that's a new crisis with how we're doing with corrosion control or with the levels of lead in our water."
The Syracuse Water Department adds a safe substance to the water that forms a protective coating inside lead pipes to prevent leaching.
Meanwhile, the city and Onondaga County are partnering to start distributing six thousand water pitchers and filters free of charge to households with pregnant women and children under age 6. Anderson says it’s part of a comprehensive approach.
“The distribution of filters now is consistent with what other cities have done in similar situations while you're waiting for lead service lines to be replaced," Anderson said. "So what other people in other cities have done is they distribute filters, they replace the service lines. It doesn't mean it's because there's an emergency or a crisis. They're just doing all that they can to minimize child lead exposure.”
Filters are first available to WIC program participants and residents eligible for the Salvation Army’s Christmas Bureau registration. Details are forthcoming about a partnership with the city school district to distribute filters to households with children in pre-kindergarten through first grade beginning in December.
Anderson says the heightened attention on the inaccurate water results earlier this month was a disservice to residents because it created a level of fear about an emergency that didn't exist. At the same time, she says she empathizes with those concerned about lead.
"I am a mom of an 8 and a 5 year old and I live in a house with a lead service line and a house with a lot of lead paint," Anderson said. "I completely understand and I can appreciate why our community members want our children to avoid any potential source of lead."
