By oht_editor | on August 27, 2022

LAPEER — The Lapeer County Health Dept., in coordination with the Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), is recommending 38 homes in the City of Lapeer with a lead service line, as well as 69 homes on galvanized service lines, use a water filter certified to reduce lead — or an alternative water source.

The galvanized service lines in Lapeer may have been previously connected to lead pipes. This situation could release lead into a home’s drinking water. Therefore, it’s recommended these 69 homes use a certified lead-reducing filter.

If a filter device or a pitcher filtration unit isn’t available, residents can use bottled water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, and to make infant formula. This recommendation, said Lapeer County Health Dept. Director Kathy Haskins, is being made on initial water test results following a GLWA water main that occurred Aug. 13 in St. Clair County.

The MDHHS personnel were in Lapeer on Thursday to provide free water filters. Following a conference call with MDHHS officials, Haskins and Lapeer City Manager Dale Kerbyson issued a joint press release Thursday afternoon with new directives. Galvanized service lines that have been previously connected to lead service lines in Lapeer have an increased risk of lead release into drinking water due to those lines having the ability to hold lead for a long time. Bottled water will be made available to the 107 homes upon request.

MDHHS staff will be in Lapeer knocking on doors of homes with known lead service lines to provide the filters. Residents of the 107 Lapeer homes that may still need a water filter will be able to get one Monday, Aug. 29 from 3-7 p.m. at the Lapeer County Health Dept. office (use rear entrance) at 1800 Imlay City Rd. in Lapeer Township. In addition, residents who have concerns about their plumbing, even if they don’t have lead or galvanized service lines, can pick up a free filter from the county health department during normal business hours.

Filters will also be made available at the Lapeer Dept. of Public Works office, 217 Bentley St. beginning Tuesday, Aug. 3O.

Filters available to the public include units that screw onto a kitchen faucet, though many after-market faucets don’t allow attachment of filters, and those residents will be given pitcher filters. Those who receive the kitchen faucet filters will also get several replacement filter cartridges.

The Lapeer County Health Dept. will offer free lead screening for Lapeer children ages 6 and under from 3-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7. The agency will have have a trailer and sidewalk tent along Court Street, adjacent to the historic county courthouse in downtown Lapeer. The screening is conducted via a fingerstick. Results of the screening will be known before children and their parents leave the screening event.

Following the GLWA water main break, the City of Lapeer activated two of four backup water wells it maintains to provide water for city residents, which prevented the City of Lapeer from being included in the Boil Water Advisory issued for Almont and Imlay City last week. The City added chlorine to the water wells at the state’s request. Tap water in Lapeer can continue to be used for bathing, washing hands, washing dishes, and laundry.

MDHHS’s Division of Environmental Health staff began water sample collections in Lapeer, Almont, and Imlay City on Aug. 18 — focused on homes known to be served by a lead service line. Eight of the 13 homes sampled in Lapeer had results with levels of leader greater than the Action Level Exceedance of 15 parts per billion. Results are not yet back for Almont or Imlay City.

In addition, said Haskins and Kerbyson, MDHHS on Friday (Aug. 26) continued to offer water testing to Lapeer homes including those with known lead service lines to test lead levels in water blended following the water main break. This sampling effort is in addition to sampling being conducted by GLWA and the local water system.

All MDHHS staff working in Lapeer have state-issued vehicles, visible identification, and will MDHHS logoed attire. MDHHS staff may be accompanied by contractors.

The City of Lapeer recently signed a contract and secured grant funding for the removal of the remaining lead and galvanized service lines. Completion of the work may not occur until late fall or early winter due to shortage of parts needed for the project.

Lapeer homeowners who need a filter or have questions can call 800-MI-TOXICS (800-648-6942).

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