By Robert Miranda
Milwaukee – Major street construction is happening on 13th street in Milwaukee’s near Southside. From Historic Mitchell Street to Windlake Ave., heavy concrete busted up by equipment sits on the street. Residents in the area state that they can feel the shockwaves coming into their homes from the pounding being done to break apart the cement in front of thief house.
The street repaving and sidewalk replacement project is being done by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
The Spanish Journal canvassed the area from the 2100 block to 1700 block of south 13th street between Historic Mitchell Street to Windlake Ave. speaking with residents who live in homes that have lead water pipes connected to city water mains.
The homes having lead pipes were identified using City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) data obtained via open records.
Long-term exposure to lead can cause serious health problems, particularly in children under the age of six and to the fetus of expecting mothers. Lead is toxic to everyone, but unborn babies and young children are at greatest risk for health problems from lead poisoning. Long-term symptoms include behavioral problems, adverse brain development, and anemia to name a few.
One resident the Spanish Journal spoke with, Silvia Ochoa stated, “we were alerted about the construction with a notice. We were also alerted to flush our water in that notice. But no one explained anything about the lead pipes or come to my house to test our water for lead”.
The Spanish Journal found that in the stretch of construction work being done on south 13th street, residents we spoke with had similar story as Silvia.
Residents on these blocks have stated that they were not provided any warnings to the potential dangers of spiking lead levels caused by all the construction taking place on their block.
Residents in the area also state that their has been no testing of the water since the construction has started.
The City of Milwaukee suspended water main replacement earlier this year in neighborhoods with large number of homes that have lead lateral water pipes connected to the water mains, because shaking the mains caused spiking of lead levels in the water of homes.
The Spanish Journal contacted the alderperson of this neighborhood via email, Jose Perez and the spokesperson for DPW, Susan Rusch Walton, to ask about the risk the construction work presented to the health of the residents.
Perez referred the matter to DPW, and the DPW spokesperson has not yet provide information to our inquiry, after informing us that she was checking into the matter and will get back to us. As of press time no information from DPW has been obtained.
The properties with these lead lateral pipes are clustered near this massive road repaving and sidewalk replacement project. The concern being raised is related to the vibrations caused by the heavy pounding by construction equipment busting up slabs of sidewalk cement, potentially shaking loose phosphates that coat the inner lining of the lead lateral water pipes that are intended to keep lead from leaching into these residents drinking water.
Is the street construction loosening the protection in the lead lateral pipes because of these vibrations?
Older homes with lead service connection lines, or lead lateral pipes, to the city’s water mains are particularly at risk.
The work goes on and and we wonder what the lead level readings in the water of these homes are today.
Caution is extremely warranted here for all of the families living in construction zones drinking the water.
