Are those regulations protective enough?
Concerns have been raised in different parts of the country with the required sampling methods used to identify lead in household plumbing, and the fact that up to 10% of the samples collected can be higher than the identified “action level” of 15 parts per billion (ppb). While the rule is intended to target sampling at the worst-case potential houses, and under worst-case conditions, researchers have shown that the prescribed methods don’t always achieve that goal.

That is particularly the case in water systems where service lines connecting the home to the water system are made entirely of lead. We are not aware of any of these types of service lines in the Puyallup system. As we sample again in the summer of 2016, if there are any homes that show lead levels over the 15 ppb action level, we will request to work with those homeowners to try and determine the source, and we will continue to communicate with all customers about the risks of lead, what we are doing to reduce that risk, and what customers can do to help reduce their own risk of exposure. Please call 253-841-5505 for more information.

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1. How does lead get into people’s drinking water?
2. How do high levels of lead in the water affect people?
3. What went wrong with the water in Flint, Michigan in 2014 and 2015?
4. How does Puyallup Water help prevent lead from getting into people’s drinking water?
5. What is Puyallup Water’s process for testing for lead and who sets the rules for that?
6. When did Puyallup Water start testing for lead and why?
7. How does Puyallup Water report lead findings to customers?
8. Who regulates our water supply?
9. Are those regulations protective enough?
10. Who oversees trends in our area’s public health or has access to track lead levels in children in our area? What are they reporting?
11. Are there inherent differences between Flint’s water supply and Puyallup’s water supply?
12. If I’m concerned about lead in my water, what can I do?
13. What homes are at high risk of having lead contamination through the pipes?