Benton Harbor water meeting all safety standards

water-safe-23424234837863
water-safe-23424234837863

The city of Benton Harbor’s water system has met state standards for drinking water in the latest round of testing. Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy spokesperson Scott Dean tells us the city’s Lead and Copper Rule monitoring has shown the 90th percentile for lead to be at or below the 15 parts per billion action level for the third consecutive time in 18 months and meeting all standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Meanwhile, Dean says the city is 99.5% finished replacing lead water service lines with only 23 properties to go. So, what’s the holdup with those last 23?

“You need a right of access,” Dean said. “You need to get a signed release to do that work on private property, and in some cases, we’ve been unable to locate property owners. In some cases, the records are hard to find. There may be a tenant in the building who can’t or won’t give us permission and we can’t find a landlord. Where have been a few instances where people have just simply refused, and it will be up to the city what they want to do .”

The city commission voted last year to make the replacement of lead service lines mandatory. Refusal could mean fines or community service. Dean says the latest six-month monitoring period resulted in a 90th percentile calculation of 9 parts per billion for lead from 65 sampling locations. The state has seen steady improvement with the last three rounds of testing. Still, residents are urged to use filters until they have their homes inspected for lead pipes inside. You can find out more about doing so right here.