Elevated Lead Levels Found In Westerly Water

Elevated lead levels were discovered during routine water quality testing of the Westerly Water System, which serves more than 5,000 Stonington customers, Stonington First Selectman Edward Haberek Jr. confirmed Friday for Patch.

Nearly all the customers in town that use Westerly water live in Pawcatuck.

Haberek said Westerly Town Manager Steven T. Hartford phoned him to tell him of the findings. “Elevated lead levels were found but they have assured me that the water has not been determined to be unsafe,” Haberek said.

According to a fact sheet provided by the Town of Westerly, “the public water supply exceeded the action lead levels of 0.015 parts per million in 8 of the 60 samples taken.”

Six or fewer samples over the 0.015 ppm of lead content would have been “considered routine or acceptable levels and in compliance with the Clean Water Act,” said Westerly Utilities Superintendent Paul Corina. Eight samples put the water system over the acceptable limit.

The Rhode Island Department of Health was notified of the testing results and issued a letter on Sept. 30 to the Town of Westerly with a list of regulatory actions that needed to be taken. Among the measures are finding the cause, documenting it and providing steps taken to fix it, alert the public, monitor the water quality, and replace a small percentage of the lead service line replacement by next fall. 

It is believed that the “only probable source of lead is from older lead service lines or lead solder remaining in the system.” According to the fact sheet provided by the Westerly Water department, many houses that were built after the 1950’s don’t have lead service lines and “lead solder has not been used since 1986…(so) houses built after this period do not have any contact with lead services.”

“We just want to make sure that people have all the information they need,” Haberek said. “We have been assured by Westerly Water that the water is safe but people need to get the right information and take steps to keep themselves safe.”

Notification of the excessive lead levels is being mailed to water customers in both Westerly and Pawcatuck to “explain the issues with lead in drinking water, including steps that can be taken to reduce exposure to lead,” Corina said.

In the meantime, Corina and Haberek said, the water department is in the process of “adjusting our corrosion control program to meet the criteria of the Clean Water Drinking Act, working with the Rhode Island Department of Health.”

Haberek said he alerted Stonington’s sanitarian who in turn contacted the Connecticut Department of Health.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's website, "But lead in drinking water can also cause a variety of adverse health effects. In babies and children, exposure to lead in drinking water above the action level can result in delays in physical and mental development, along with slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. In adults, it can cause increases in blood pressure. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure."

The pamphlets being mailed to customers include phone numbers that will help with any questions about lead issues in the drinking water, Corina said. The mailing reads further: “The Westerly Water Department will be consistently working on the treatment solution, along with the Department of Health. Additional sampling/testing will start after treatment adjustments have been completed. The Town of Westerly, Water Department appreciates your understanding and patience during the adjustment process.”

Haberek said he is comfortable with how Westerly is dealing with the situation.

“The water is safe,” he said. “Basically, we just need to inform people and provide information.”

Currently Westerly Water is adjusting the ph levels and treating the water to make it less likely lead will dissolve into it.