CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)–On Monday, Charleston Water System began sending letters notifying residents that a water service line supplying water to their homes is made at least partially of lead, posing potential health threats. It comes after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated guidelines for water systems.
“A month ago, the EPA came out with a brand-new lead procedure that requires us to notify everyone with a service line made of lead or suspected to be lead or other vital materials to be notified by letter. That’ll be an annual letter that people will get in perpetuity until we replace their service line,” said Mike Saia, The public information administrator for the Charleston Water System.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the maximum allowable lead content is a weighted average of 0.25 percent, calculated across the wetted surfaces of pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures. News 2 was there when officials tested the water at an impacted home. The results won’t be in for a few weeks, but one resident told us she’s unsettled by the thought of her water being contaminated.