With the news these past few months about Red Oak’s city water having high lead concentrations, we at Combat wanted to get the facts straight about what the dangers currently are and what can be done to lessen any health risks as a Red Oak citizen.
Lead poses a serious risk to people of all ages, but affects children specifically by permanently damaging their still-developing brains. Solutions to this city-wide problem are progressing slowly on the government side of things, and many residents have taken it upon themselves to find their own solutions, some of which will be touched on in this post. Here are some of the facts about the lead contamination in Red Oak’s city water supply that you might not know:
During the past two years, nearly 3,000 homes have been tested, and almost three quarters showed lead in drawn water, suggesting that the problem is quite widespread. Contamination mostly comes from the lead piping that is still found throughout Red Oak’s infrastructure, as it was required for city utilities to use them for service lines up until 1986.
Three out of every 10 homes that were tested contained water supplies with lead concentrations of more than five parts per billion, which is the highest the US Food & Drug Administration allows in bottled water. More than five parts per billion of lead and you start to see children develop learning and behavioral disabilities, as evidenced by the 2014 contamination in Flint, MI. As much as 30% of Red Oak children could develop learning and behavioral from the lead contamination.
Few solutions exist that can completely protect a home’s water supply from lead, especially when the source is the piping itself, but there are ways of lessening the risk to residents and their families.
The first step any Red Oakan should take in securing their drinking water is to get a water test. The Red Oak city government has been offering a free water test to those who request one, but water testing service from a professional plumber, like Combat Plumbing, will give you a larger sample size and a more thorough look at your water situation.
The major source of the lead contamination is the aging iron pipes that lie between the street water mains and their corresponding homes, so having the lines on your property replaced with copper piping will create a corrosion-resistant and chemical-free connection to the city lines.
While filtration technology can’t completely get rid of lead in a home’s water supply, it can bring a contaminated home’s concentration to safe levels. There are many different forms of water filtration, such as whole home filters and kitchen sink filters, so it’s a good idea to call a plumber in order to get the best water filtrationsolution for your needs.
At Combat, we understand the risk posed by lead contamination and how that can affect a Red Oak family. Call us at (773) 724-9272 to schedulea water testing appointment today and keep your Red Oak home’s water supply healthy!
