Port Washington Water District's Protection Against Lead-Contaminated Drinking Water

The Port Washington Water District (PWWD) assures its residents that there has been no lead contamination in their water supply for more than 30 years. In light of recent events occurring in Flint, Michigan and the city’s contaminated water supply, the PWWD would like to guarantee its residents their drinking water is exhaustively tested and treated for lead content and other contaminants.

“The degree of lead contamination in Flint, Michigan’s water and the negative effects it is having on its population is an absolute travesty,” said Port Washington Water District Chairman David Brackett. “Our residents can rest assured their water supply is tested frequently for various contaminants and what is being supplied to their homes would never contain harmful levels of pollutants.”

To ensure the water supply is not contaminated with lead, all Long Island water suppliers comply with stringent guidelines set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Lead and Copper Rule. Our District’s drinking water is treated by raising pH levels to help prevent lead from being disbursed from household pipes and plumbing fixtures.

It is very important to note the PWWD and other Long Island public water suppliers have been providing treatment for corrosion control for more than 30 years. The District takes every precaution to ensure a situation like the one in Flint, Michigan never occurs in the community.

“All results of the District’s lead and copper testing are presented to our residents in our annual drinking water quality report,” said Paul Granger, Port Washington Water District Superintendent. “Year after year our tap water remains to be of the highest quality possible and is always safe to drink.”

The guidelines put in place 25 years ago by the USEPA’s Lead and Copper Rule, which the PWWD and other Long Island public water suppliers adhere to, requires each system to monitor drinking water by sampling the tap water from multiple households throughout the community. If lead and copper concentrations exceed a certain level, the water supply system must take a number of actions to control the contamination. This established system also requires water suppliers to inform residents of the steps they can take to replace lead service lines and safeguard their water.

For additional information on water contaminants, please visit the UPSEPA’s website at www.epa.gov, or contact the Port Washington Water District at 516.767.0171 or at info@pwwd.org.