As the person who asked about the lead in our water at the recent meeting with city officials at the LBC that was reported in the January 23 (pg. 3) of the Sun, I would like to offer some clarifications. The origin of the lead in our home’s water is the water main that serves our neighborhood, not the line that connects our home (built in the 1980s), to the main. The State Hygienic Lab determined that a sample from our home showed .01 milligrams of lead per liter of water with the “actionable” level being .015. In other words, our water was .005 milligrams short of being “actionable.”

My understanding from the meeting was that EPA standards as to what an “actionable” amount of lead in drinking water is, varies politically. What I was told by the State Hygienic Lab is that any amount of lead in drinking water is not good.

It is also my understanding that 750 letters were sent to residents suggesting that their home’s water be tested. We were asked to share our results with the City, which we did. I am curious as to what percentage of letter recipients followed through with the suggestion, what levels of lead were found in different neighborhoods, and if there is any ongoing correspondence/communication with the State Hygienic Lab.

Juanita Andersen