Health Department Lifts Lead Advisory
May 23, 2007

Dr. John Morrow, Pitt County Health Director, announced today that the Health Department has lifted the Lead Advisory for Greenville Utilities (GUC) customers following the recent report that for the second consecutive time, GUC water samples meet the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Action Level requirements for lead.  The Advisory was initially issued in May 2005 after an investigation of elevated blood lead levels in two Greenville children discovered lead levels in tap water that were above the USEPA Action Level.  The Advisory recommended that, as a precaution, pregnant women, breastfeeding women and children under six, should not consume their tap water until it had been tested. Since 2005, there have been no additional cases of children with elevated blood lead levels linked to drinking water according to Dr. Morrow. 

GUC water samples currently meet all state and federal regulations for lead. In samples collected from GUC customers’ taps in February through March 2007, only 3% were above federal limits. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that no more than 10% of the tap samples collected can exceed the EPA “Action Level” of 15 parts per billion (ppb) for lead. Earlier samples collected on GUC’s system in October/November 2006 were also well within EPA limits, with 6% above the EPA Action Level.  

“This has been a challenging issue to resolve,” said Ron Elks, GUC’s General Manager/CEO. “There are no detectable levels of lead present in the water supplied to GUC customers when it leaves the Water Treatment Plant, and none of the 580 miles of GUC-owned water lines that carry water to homes are made of lead. If drinking water contains any lead, the most likely source is the home’s plumbing system. The most common cause is corrosion, a reaction between the water and lead solder that is used to connect copper pipes.”

Indications of a problem surfaced in 2004 when 22% of GUC’s samples exceeded the EPA Action Level. As a result, the utility was required to implement a public education program, complete a corrosion control study, and increase its sampling frequency from once every three years, to every six months. GUC also began offering free lead testing to all water customers.

Follow up samples in 2005 and early 2006 also exceeded the EPA Action Level. Prior to 2004, in testing conducted by the utility since 1992, only 2% of homes sampled for lead content exceeded the Action Level. Samples are collected from “worst-case” homes built between 1983 and 1988 and considered to be at risk for lead leaching from pipes joined with lead solder, which was banned in 1986.

GUC's results have consistently improved, from a high of 27% to just 3% in the most recent samples. The continued improvement is attributable to a change in coagulants from polyaluminum chloride to aluminum sulfate that was made in April 2006.  The decision to change coagulants was based on the results of a groundbreaking research study conducted by Dr. Marc Edwards of Virginia Tech for Greenville Utilities.  Dr. Edwards’ study demonstrated that a high chloride to sulfate ratio in drinking water caused increased leaching of lead at the interface where lead solder connects copper pipes.  

“We are pleased that we have met the Action Level requirements for lead for two consecutive sampling periods.” said Mr. Elks. “GUC is dedicated to doing everything within its power to reduce lead levels in customers’ water. We will continue to offer free lead sampling and also encourage customers to follow these simple tips:

• USE ONLY WATER FROM THE COLD WATER TAP FOR COOKING AND DRINKING: Hot water can dissolve lead more quickly than cold water. Boiling your water will not reduce the amount of lead in your water.
  
  
• RUN WATER THROUGH YOUR TAP BEFORE CONSUMING:
  After water has been sitting in the pipes for more than six (6) hours (usually in the morning), run your cold water for two to four minutes before using it to drink or prepare food.  During the day, run the water for a minute before consuming the water.
   
• REMOVE AND CLEAN STRAINERS/AERATORS from your faucets periodically.

For further information about lead, contact GUC at 551-1551 or click here. The Pitt County Health Department may be contacted at 902-2426.