An action level exceedance advisory for lead in the city of Benton Harbor has been extended. That’s after testing of the water system last Thursday found more than 10% of water samples gathered in 66 homes exceeded the target Action Level for lead, resulting in a continued ALE. The 90th percentile for the samples was 24 parts per billion for lead, with 11 of 66 samples having lead of more than 15 parts per billion. The city says there are many homes in Benton Harbor that have lead service lines, the pipes that deliver water to a home, and as a result, the ALE will continue until lead sampling shows less lead so that fewer than 10% of the samples are above the Action Level. In the meantime, everyone is advised to get a lead-reducing filter and maintain it by regularly cleaning and changing the cartridge. The filters can be obtained for free from the Berrien County Health Department.
The city has released the following for residents:
