2016 Cleveland Water Quality Report: No Violations

CLEVELAND, OH -- The City of Cleveland released its 2016 Water Quality Report and the results are good. The water, which comes from Lake Erie, was within acceptable limits for contaminants except for one sample.

The sample, collected in 2015, showed increased levels of lead in one of the 51 samples taken. None of the samples taken in 2016 had elevated levels of lead, however.

Lead pipes were largely used for water before 1954. If your home was built before then, the Water Quality Report says, you can perform a simple test to see if your pipes are made of lead.

Lead, copper and galvanized steel are the most commonly-used materials for water piping. Find the pipe to the water main and scratch it with a penny. Copper pipes will be obvious because of the color, and galvanized steel pipes will remain dull and gray after scratching.

Lead pipes, when scratched, should show a silver and shiny area. Also, magnets will not stick to lead, like they will to galvanized steel. If you have lead pipes, it is a good idea to replace them.

To minimize lead in your water, the Water Quality Report says to take a few steps:

• Clean your faucet aerator (the wire mesh screen at the end of the faucet). They are often left neglected and should be cleaned twice annually.
• Water sitting overnight in lead pipes may have a higher chance of being contaminated, so run your water until you feel a change in temperature before using it-- this will ensure that you're getting water from the main that hasn't been sitting in lead.
• Use cold water. Hot water dissolves lead more quickly, so ensure that when you use water for cooking, drinking or brushing teeth, it is as cold as possible.

The water quality tests revealed that levels of fluoride, nitrate, copper, chlorine and other contaminants in the water were in acceptable ranges.

Officials request that readers share the information in the report by posting it in a public place or distributing copies.

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