TUSTIN : Little Lead Is Found in Residential Water
Samples of water from more than 50 “high-risk” residences show no or few traces of lead or copper, according to Tustin water service manager Gary Veeh.
The samples were taken recently as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s lead and copper testing program, Veeh said.
High-risk buildings were built between 1982 and 1986. After 1986, lead solder, a contributor to lead poisoning, was banned, Veeh said. In pre-1982 installations, a film forms inside pipes that acts as a protective coating and prevents lead from dissolving into the water.
The sampling program, which involves all public agencies that have water delivery systems, requires the city’s water department to sample at least 60 high-risk residences for two consecutive six-month periods.
Eventually, water systems must be brought into compliance with EPA standards.
Out of 58 residences sampled so far, 31 showed no traces of lead. The remaining homes had slight traces that were below the level determined by the federal government to warrant further action, Veeh said.
Veeh said the department plans to sample a total of 70 or 80 residences.
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