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Medford Water Commission

Medford Water Commission - 541.774.2430
Water quality in the news
Monday, January 25, 2016

In response to the water quality crisis unfolding in Flint, Mich., the Medford Water Commission (MWC) seeks to inform and assure our customers that we take seriously our responsibility to protect them from lead exposure.

In compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Oregon Health Authority,
MWC collects samples and tests for lead at targeted residential taps. Lead has not been detected at elevated levels at these customers' taps and there is no lead detected in either the Big Butte Springs or the Rogue River source waters.

Lead is a naturally occurring element that is rarely found in water sources. However, lead can be leached into water through contact with leaded materials in plumbing. If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children.

Lead service lines were not used extensively within Medford’s water distribution system. MWC's policy is to replace these connections whenever they are located.

In accordance with regulations established by the EPA, MWC collects samples from residential water taps every three years. These samples – collected from 30 homes built between 1982-86, among the last to use copper pipes with lead solder – are tested for lead and copper and reported to the public in our annual Water Quality Report, as required by the EPA.

The amount of lead detected in Medford’s samples has always fallen well below the “action level” determined by the EPA. The EPA requires at least 90 percent of the homes tested to have lead levels of less than 15 parts per billion. In 2013, the date of our most recent sampling, the 90th percentile value for Medford was 1.4 parts per billion.

Our water is not prone to high levels of lead. However, residents should be aware that, if present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems. It can impact normal physical and mental development in babies and young children, cause deficits in attention span, hearing and learning abilities in children, and increase blood pressure in adults.

Lead exposure in drinking water is primarily the result of contact with corroding plumbing or fixtures. While MWC’s policy is to replace leaded pipes when they are located within our system, property owners are responsible for maintaining plumbing fixtures from the water meter to the tap.

Lead levels in your drinking water are likely to be highest if your home has faucets or fittings made of brass, which contains some lead; your home has lead pipes; or, your home has copper pipes with lead solder. Nearly all homes built prior to the mid-1980s still have lead solder connecting copper pipes. 

Older homes may use lead pipes, which are generally a dull gray color and are very soft. They can be identified easily by carefully scratching them with a key or coin. If the pipe is made of lead, the area you’ve scratched will turn a bright silver color. Do not use a knife or other sharp instrument and take care not to puncture a hole in the pipe.
 
There are steps you can take to help protect yourself and your family from exposure to lead in tap water:
  1. Run your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes or until cold before using water for drinking or cooking, particularly when water has not been used for several hours. This flushes water that may contain lead from the pipes.
  2. Use cold, fresh water for cooking and preparing baby formula. Do not cook with or drink water from the hot water tap; lead dissolves more easily into hot water.
  3. Consider purchasing new fixtures. When purchasing replacement plumbing products, including faucets, make sure the products have been tested and certified to “lead-free” standards. Visit www.nsf.org to learn more about lead content in plumbing fixtures.
  4. If you are concerned about lead in your drinking water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) or at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

For more detailed information, please read Medford Water Commission’s Water Quality Report and Annual Analyses. For questions, contact Rosie Pindilli, Water Quality Director, at 541-774-2728 or rosie.pindilli@cityofmedford.org.

Other resources:

Oregon Health Authority
Drinking Water Program: 971-673-0405
www.public.health.oregon.gov/HealthyEnvironments/DrinkingWater

EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline
800-426-4791
www.epa.gov/safewater

Neilson Research Corporation
245 S Grape Street
Medford, OR  97501
541-770-5678

 





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