(File Photo of the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa logo)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Beaver County, PA) The Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection recently sampled homes in the area with service lines of lead. The level of lead in the locations that were sampled was over the normal level in five of those homes with lead in some drinking water. According to a release from the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa, here are some steps to reduce lead exposure in water:
1. Run your water to flush out lead. Run water for 60 seconds to flush lead from interior plumbing or until it becomes cold or
reaches a steady temperature before using it for drinking or cooking, if it hasn’t been used for several hours.
2. Use cold 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. Do not use water from the hot water tap to make baby formula.
3. Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead.
4. Look for alternative sources or treatment of water. You may want to consider purchasing bottled water or a water filter.
Read the package to be sure the filter is approved to reduce lead or contact NSF International at 800NSF-8010 or
www.nsf.org for information on performance standards for water filters. Be sure to maintain and replace a filter device in
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions to protect water quality.
5. Test your water for lead. Call the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa at 724-375-5525 to find out how to get your water tested for lead.
6. Get your child’s blood tested. Contact your local health department or health care provider to find out how you can get your
child tested for lead, if you are concerned about exposure.
7. Identify and replace plumbing fixtures containing lead. New brass faucets, fittings, and valves, including those advertised
as “lead-free” may contribute lead to drinking water. Until 2014, the law allowed end-use brass fixtures, such as faucets,
with up to 8% lead to be labeled as “lead-free.”
You can also call 724-375-5525 for more information.