The City of Syracuse got good news on water quality in the face of the ongoing lead poisoning problem. But the recent EPA report does not tell the whole story of the ongoing health threat – or the task facing the city. Officials are counting on residents to take an active role.
It was cause for some celebration when an Environmental Protection Agency report showed the lead levels in Syracuse water were below the allowable limit. Deputy Mayor Corey Driscoll Dunham explained an independent source collects 100 samples from households to test. The finding of 12 parts per billion met the safety standard – for now.
“But we know that there’s still a lot of more work to do because the EPA standard is going to change next year. And so we really need to get under that 10 parts per billion,” Driscoll Dunham added. “And so that’s where the service line replacements come in. That’s what we’re looking at, you know, the treatment that we give the water, the orthophosphate to stop that corrosion, try and discourage that corrosion. That’s where those efforts really come in.”…