The Guardian’s report suggests 33 American cities in 17 states used methods of measurement – or “cheats” as the report called them – to produce numbers that may understate lead levels. A filter should still be used for drinking and food preparation.
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Philadelphia, a city accused of having the worst water testing in the USA, asks testers to pre-flush their pipes, remove aerators and slowly pour water into a sample bottle.
The Guardian requested records from 80 cities east of the MS river, communities which have older pipe systems compared to newer cities in the west. Residents in Flint can now use the water to shower and bathe.
The corrosive river water caused lead to leach from aging pipes into drinking water, an issue that can now not be reversed by switching away from Flint River water but instead requires a full replacement of almost all pipes in the city of 100,000 residents. “The state is taking its cue from the EPA”.
A Guardian investigation prompted by the toxic water crisis in Flint, Mich. found that administrations in at least 33 US cities, including Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and Detroit, effectively cheated while testing drinking water for risky levels of lead. Some cities, citing security risk concerns, said they didn’t know where lead pipes were or didn’t conduct testing in the mandatory amount of homes with lead pipes.
“(Some cities) make lead in water low when collecting samples for EPA compliance, even as it poisons kids who drink the water”, Edwards told The Guardian. The EPA recommended against aerator removal in 2006 because it can diminish lead detected in tests, a recommendation that didn’t make it to Lewiston but one that was acknowledged by the water department in Bangor, Maine.
Here are the at least 33 cities with water-testing techniques in violation of EPA guidelines that The Guardian found through Freedom of Information Act requests.
When ATTN: reached out to the EPA for comment, the agency sent us a statement that describes ways it plans to improve.
Although the national guard has been passing out hundreds of thousands of water bottles to Flint residents, it is likely that the damage has already reached a point of no return. We believe our drinking water is extremely safe.
“Flint is unfortunate”, said Barry Parsons, the water supply manager in Greensboro, North Carolina.
21% said their homes had been found to have unsafe lead levels, 35% said they had not, and 44% were unsure.
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“The way we look at it, human health is most important to us, so whatever we can do – that’s our motto here, one or one million”.
