Water Quality Defended Despite Faulty Meters
City officials said this week they have not detected harmful amounts of lead in tap water following reports that a firm selling water meters to the city had agreed to halt production because of concerns that the meters released more lead than the state allows.
Shawn Kwan, manager of Pasadena’s water services division, said city water meets all state standards. The meters, manufactured by ABB Water Meters Inc. of Ocala, Fla., account for only about 620 of 30,000 meters in Pasadena.
Kwan said officials had detected a few higher readings, but in each case found plumbing fixtures to blame.
The city’s municipally owned water company, Kwan said, is now testing the meters under laboratory conditions.
The Environmental Law Foundation and Natural Resources Defense Council sued ABB and five other firms, alleging that their water meters leached lead in excess of state limits.
ABB agreed to introduce a virtually lead-free meter under the terms of a legal settlement announced last week.
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