In the wake of what happened in Flint, Michigan, cities across America are doubling-down efforts to make sure the water found in local pipes is safe to drink.
Last week, the region received a scare in the form of high lead levels found in the pipes of certain older homes in Tacoma. While they went about testing locally, Seattle officials told the public to let their tap water run for two minutes before using it just in case. Testing complete, Seattle Public Utilities has now determined that Seattle's water doesn’t have any lead problems and is safe to drink.
Two days of extensive testing in five Seattle homes found the water was safe to drink, officials said Sunday. The highest lead level recorded in the tests was 1.95 parts per billion, well below the Environmental Protection Agency’s action level for lead of 15 parts per billion.
SPU tested water at five homes, and water-quality officials said they were concerned about a couple thousand homes, mostly built before 1930, believed to have a "gooseneck" lead pipe connecting their home to the water supply.
SPU and the EPA still recommend flushing the water system (letting the water get as cold as it can get) before drinking from it.
· No lead problems in Seattle water, officials say after testing five homes [ST]
· Seattle told to let taps run, just in case, after lead found in old Tacoma homes [CS]
· Know if Your Seattle Neighborhood is at Risk for Lead Poisoning [CS]