ALMONT, MI -- Tap water in one of Michigan’s oldest villages has showed no sign of lead contamination in testing following a break in its primary supply line from Lake Huron.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said it tested water at 17 homes in the village of Almont, located in Lapeer County, about 8 miles south of Imlay City, with none of 62 samples testing higher than 4 parts per billion of lead.
Almont was one of three municipalities in Lapeer County that used back-up community well systems for water after an Aug. 13 break in the Great Lakes Water Authority pipeline that carries pre-treated Lake Huron water to the region.
Some homes in the two other municipalities -- the city of Lapeer and Imlay City -- have seen elevated lead levels in water since also activating backup well water systems.
Some level of lead was found in 76% of water samples tested in the city of Lapeer following the GLWA line break and in Imlay City, testing was scheduled to resume this week after two of 35 homes tested exceeded 15 ppb of lead -- the federal action limit for public water systems.
Lynn Sutfin, an MDHHS spokeswoman, said 62 samples were collected from the 17 homes in Almont with lead levels ranging from non-detect to 4 ppb of lead.
“MDHHS does not have any recommendations for the village of Almont regarding lead in drinking water as it pertains to the GLWA water main break due to no identified health risks,” Sutfin said in an email to MLive-The Flint Journal.
In a message posted on Imlay City’s web page, the city’s most recent water update says the state is continuing to provide water filters to any water customer out of an abundance of caution.
Although some level of lead was detected in water at 14 of 22 homes initially tested in Imlay City, the city says on its website that only two of the homes “detected traces of lead above the action level.”
Like Lapeer and Almont, Imlay City activated a backup community well system to keep water flowing to homes and businesses after the GLWA water main break. The city blended the well water with water from GLWA after it was reconnected to the authority’s distribution system through a secondary connection.
In Lapeer, some level of lead was detected in 89 of 116 samples collected at 29 homes. In testing those samples, the state said 38 samples exceeded the federal action limit for lead.
Lapeer is in the midst of a program to remove and replace lead service lines at 107 homes and to excavate service line connections at more than 500 other homes where some portions of the connection could be made of lead or galvanized material.
Officials for Lapeer and Imlay City have said that a change in their water sources, pressure fluctuations within their distribution systems, or both have likely caused the elevated lead readings, which they hope will dissipate after regular service is restored later this month.
Like Imlay City, Lapeer has been reconnected to the GLWA system through a secondary connection.
State officials have said they do not have enough information to determine the cause of lead detections and are continuing to sample water in the cities.
GLWA officials said this week that the process of putting its 120-inch water main that broke back into service is taking longer than the authority anticipated. The water authority estimated a return to normal operations by Oct. 5.
Read more at The Flint Journal:
Lead found in 76% of Lapeer water samples following GLWA line break
Lead found at 14 of 22 homes tested in Imlay City after GLWA water line break
Buick City buyer tells Flint it’s planning 3.5M square-foot industrial park
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