Officials Say Lead Levels In Flint's Drinking Water Have Increased

Officials are saying the levels of lead in Flint, Michigan's, tap water has increased, according to CBS Detroit.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced Friday (July 22) that the latest test results show lead levels were higher than the previous 6-month test results. However, the results are still lower than the federal action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) of lead. The recent test results show the samples collected are at 10 ppb.

In addition, EGLE says the increase in largely due to businesses being added to the testing pool, as the majority of the testing was done on homes that have had their lead service lines replaced. 61 buildings known to still have lead service lines were tested, 40 of them being single-family homes and the other 21 being businesses. If only the homes were tested, the result would have been 7 ppb, and if only the businesses were tested, the results would have been 14 ppb.

“As Flint nears completion of its lead service line replacement program, we are seeing clear evidence that the focus will need to shift to interior plumbing and continued education on how to reduce lead exposures in the home as outlined on the state’s Mi Lead Safe web site,” Kris Donaldson, EGLE’s Clean Drinking Water Public Advocate, said (via CBS Detroit).