City, state issue water warnings

From Staff Reports

The city of Jackson addressed concerns about lead in the city’s water system Wednesday.

In a press release, the city reported that  Jackson’s water has not been deemed unsafe. However, pregnant women and small children should follow the Mississippi Department of Health’s recommendations for prevention of lead exposure from drinking water.

The city was notified by the MSDH Jan. 28, that random water samples from 13 out of 58 homes showed lead above the actionable levels of 0.015. The agency retrieved the samples in June 2015 and received the results in July 2015.

The city is taking additional compliance measures, including more frequent sampling and taking measures to mitigate the reaction of the finished water with piping, plumbing and service lines. Mitigation measures typically include implementation of flushing programs and optimizing corrosion control during the treatment process. Jackson’s source water and finished drinking water leaving the plant do not contain lead, according to the release.

Lead enters the water from the corrosion of materials containing lead. When water is in contact with service lines and plumbing containing lead for several hours, the lead may enter drinking water.

Homes built prior to 1988 are more likely to have lead pipes or solder. Public Water Systems like Jackson’s are required to take measures that control corrosion by treated water. The city’s plants do have corrosion control systems; however, this exceedance signals an immediate need to optimize the corrosion control systems.

Public Education about lead and drinking can be found on the City’s website, www.jacksonms.gov.

MSDH also released information regarding the water advising residents to take the following precautions:

– Before using tap water for drinking or cooking, run your tap on cold for one to two minutes; for more detailed information visit www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/water.htm;

– Households should never use hot water for drinking or cooking;

– Any child 5 years of age or younger and any pregnant woman should use filtered water or bottled water for drinking and cooking;

– Baby formula should be “ready-to-feed” or prepared using only filtered water or bottled water;

– Parents with children 6 years or younger should contact their child’s pediatrician or primary care provider to ensure adequate lead screening and blood testing have been performed.

“Although the majority of home lead testing performed identified no lead, or lead below the action level of 15 ppb, we are issuing these recommendations as a special precaution for young children and pregnant women,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Thomas Dobbs.