“Flint water now looks like it’s entering a range that is considered normal for US cities”, said Marc Edwards, the Virginia Tech researcher whose team identified the lead contamination in Flint’s water a year ago.
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The Flint Water Study Team at Virginia Tech says new tests continue to show lower levels of lead and iron.
The head of the team says the situation is “dramatically better” than a year ago.
“Flint water now looks like it’s entering a range that’s considered normal for other USA cities”. Protective coatings in old pipes eroded, releasing lead. However, the water is still not officially considered to be safe to drink without filters. The city has been under a federal state of emergency due to expire later this month.
Flint Mayor Karen Weaver also welcomed the results, although she wants all lead water lines at homes replaced.
In concurrence with the lead in water problem, there was an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Flint. Legionella is bacteria that causes a type of lung infection leading to pneumonia otherwise known as Legionnaires’ disease, can multiply in water systems, such as hot tubs, air conditioners, and hot water heaters.
Researchers from Virginia Tech University announced Thursday that, in their most recent round of testing in July, 45 percent of homes had lead levels below the 15 parts per billion (ppb) threshold, down from only 9 percent of homes in August 2015. The team’s work is widely credited with helping to bring new attention to the issue.
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Edwards added that properly filtered water was comparable in quality to bottled water or better. “It’s important for residents to keep using the filters and bottled water being provided at water resource sites located around the city”.
