The 20 homes tested all have laterals with lead soldering, and the lead levels were found to be higher than the 15 parts per billion allowed by Environmental Protection Agency. A lateral is a pipe that brings water from the water main to the meter, and in homes built in the 1940s or earlier, laterals are often made from lead.
“We are required to test every three years at 20 sites for lead content. The sites are chosen based on the laterals,” said Cliff White, Sturgeon Bay Utilities operations manager.
SBU has been working to remove the 1,800 laterals with lead soldering for decades and have only 95 left, White said. The laterals are being placed with copper pipes.
“(The homes) are distributed throughout the town,” he said.
Homes were tested on Georgia Street, Hudson Avenue, Texas Street, Madison Avenue, east and west Pine streets, and Louisiana Street.
White did not give exact numbers on how many homes tested positive for higher than allowed levels of lead.
“All homeowners that had their water tested have been individually notified of the results. … The homes that exceeded the action level have moved up on the priority list and will be replaced before years end,” White said in a follow-up email.
All the laterals with lead soldering are expected to be replaced by May 2018, he said.
Impact of lead
A SBU news release about the lead detection gave a number of tips on how to limit lead exposure:
Run cold water for several minutes prior to use if it has been sitting for several hours.
Use only cold, non-softened water for cooking and preparing baby formula.
Do not cook with or drink water from the hot water tap or water that has been softened because lead dissolves more readily into hot or softened water.
Look for alternative water sources (e.g. bottle water) or have water treated.
Identify and replace plumbing fixtures containing lead.
Boiling water will not reduce lead levels. People can have their water tested through SBU for about $20 by calling 920-746-2820 or visiting sbunet.com for more information.
The Door County Public Health Department will test children for lead exposure for free.
“We do check kids for lead here at the health department and in 2016 we checked 281 children and we only had one lead level that was elevated,” said Rhonda Kohlberg, director and health officer for Door County Public Health Department.
Older homes being renovated are often the cause of those higher lead levels.
Kohlberg said when an elevated lead level is found, they send the person to their medical provider for more testing.
If there is still an elevated level a nurse goes into the home to investigate where the lead might be coming from, she said.
Lead exposure can cause brain damage, reduced IQ, developmental delays and other issues in children and infants, Kohlberg explained.
To ask about having your child tested for lead call the health department at 920-746-2234.
