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Milton cited for insufficient drinking water tests

Town fails to properly report samples since 2014
October 24, 2016

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State officials have cited the Town of Milton for failing to conduct adequate testing of lead and copper contamination in its drinking water supply.

Milton town officials say the most recent violation stems from a communication error, but state officials say the town has received three certified notices of violation for its failure to adequately test its drinking water supply since 2014.

Milton first failed to submit mandatory drinking water samples to the state in September 2014, leading the state Office of Drinking Water to issue a violation and demand 20 samples for the next monitoring period.

Normally, Milton is required to submit 10 samples within a three-year period. When those samples were not submitted by the deadline, the state demanded 20 samples for the next monitoring period of January through June 2015.

Milton again failed to submit adequate samples – a second violation, said Department of Health and Social Services spokeswoman Andrea Wojcik. The state failed to issue a citation and erroneously sent a letter to the town in July 2015 stating Milton was in compliance with drinking water test requirements.

The town again failed to submit enough samples for June through December 2015. Six months later, a second violation was issued.

Milton Public Works Director Greg Wingo said the third and most recent violation notice came in July 2016 after state officials said Milton did not submit enough samples for the first half of 2016.

“It's not that we didn't test. We did test,” Wingo said. “It's that they changed how many samples we have to take.”

A statement on the town’s website said town officials were not notified of a change in testing requirements. 

“Due to the communication error, the Office of Drinking Water is working with the town to resolve the issue and remove the water violation,” the statement reads.

Wojcik said the state has not changed its statewide testing requirements, and three certified letters were sent to the town about the violations.

“The change in requirements to how often Milton was required to sample and the number of samples they were required to provide beginning in 2015 is based solely on their failure to submit water samples for lead and copper by the end of September 2014 as required by their particular monitoring schedule,” Wojcik said.

The most recent samples for lead and copper were taken in September, Wingo said, and results showed Milton's water is safe to drink. 

“The water is completely safe, and that's not just coming from me. It's coming from the state and the federal government,” Wingo said. “Everything is good.”

Wingo said his department has changed out some lead pipes throughout the town over the years, but some still remain. Existing lead pipes have not caused any significant problems in Wingo's 10 years with the town, he said.

Wingo said he thought more frequent sampling requirements were likely a result of lead contamination in Flint, Mich.

“But in Milton, the water is fine,” he said. “Nothing is wrong with the water.”

In 2015, a year after officials switched drinking water sources in Flint, a group of doctors found high levels of lead in the blood of local children and warned area residents to stop drinking the water, the Associated Press reports. Curt Guyette, an investigative reporter with the American Civil Liberties Union who broke the story, recently reported drinking water tests from one school in Flint showed lead levels at 2,084 parts per billion.

In Milton's 2015 drinking water report, tests found copper levels at 0.26 parts per million and lead levels at 6.7 parts per billion. Neither exceed federal mandatory action levels for these contaminants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires corrective action when there are concentrations of more than 1.3 parts per million for copper and 15 parts per billion for lead. One part per million is equal to 1 milligram per liter; one part per billion is equal to one drop of water in an Olympic-size swimming pool.

However, the EPA also notes the maximum contaminant level goal for lead is zero, meaning health risks could be associated with even low levels of lead in drinking water.

“Lead is persistent, and it can bioaccumulate in the body over time,” EPA's website states.

The town's 2015 report also states the town did not complete required monitoring needed to comply with the EPA'S Lead and Copper Rule. The report states the likely source of copper contamination is erosion of natural deposits, leaching from wood preservatives and corrosion of household plumbing systems, while the likely source of lead is the corrosion of household plumbing systems and erosion of natural deposits.

Milton's 2016 report will not be available until summer 2017, Wingo said.

Milton's drinking water comes from the Columbia and Chesapeake aquifers through four wells in town. Two treatment plants apply chlorine and fluoride to make the water safe to drink, and it is then stored in two water towers in town limits.

Consuming excess copper can cause gastrointestinal issues while long-term exposure can cause liver or kidney damage. Excess lead in drinking water can affect physical and mental development of children and kidney problems and high blood pressure in adults.

If residents suspect they have lead pipes, the EPA recommends flushing pipes by running water for up to 30 seconds until it becomes as cold as it will get, especially for faucets that haven't been used for six hours or longer. Boiling water will not get rid of lead contamination, the EPA states, but many filters and water treatment devices can reduce lead concentrations.

For more, call Milton Town Hall at 302-684-4110 or the Office of Drinking Water at 302-741-8630.

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