LANSING, Mich. — The City of Charlotte responded to the health departments announcement of the copper found in water. The city said in a statement that maximum levels of copper were only found in five homes and could be due to old household plumbing.
The city said the owners of those homes were notified.
To read their statement in full go to the bottom of this article.
According to the Barry-Eaton District Health Department, elevated levels of copper in drinking water were found in select locations served by the City of Charlotte’s municipal water supply.
Drinking water with elevated levels of copper may cause upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.
Elevated copper levels were found through routine water testing performed by the City of Charlotte.
Infants and people with rare genetic diseases like Wilson's disease may be more effected than others by the copper.
Barry-Eaton District Health Department suggests families take precautions to reduce their exposure to copper.
Families should flush their pipes for at least two minutes before using it.
Barry-Eaton District Health Department emphasize not to drink hot water, or boil water in an attempt to "clean it."
Hot water is more likely to contain high levels of copper. Copper is not removed from water by boiling, and boiling can actually raise the level of copper.
Statement from the City of Charlotte:
The City of Charlotte is committed to providing safe, quality drinking water to its residents. As required by Federal and State laws and regulations, regular testing is conducted on various aspects of the water system.
Testing completed as recently as 2014 determined that copper was not detected in the City’s well supply. Elevated copper levels are sometimes found in some residences due to corrosion of household plumbing pipes and fixtures made of, or containing, copper.
The City’s recent testing for lead and copper, conducted in August and September of this year, found five of twenty samples that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) for copper. In accordance with Federal and State laws and regulations, those five residents were notified of their results. They were also given a fact sheet on how to flush their pipes before using the water for cooking and drinking if the water has been sitting in their pipes for an extended period of time.
The City recommends that residents with copper plumbing follow published guidance about using water from the cold faucet and running it for 30-60 seconds, or when it becomes cool, before using it for drinking or cooking. This holds true as well for residents in areas surrounding the City that use well water but have copper plumbing.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has advised the City that the exceedance is not a violation of Federal and State regulations. It does require more homes to be tested in the next round of sampling to take place in the first six months of 2020. City residents concerned about copper levels in their drinking water can be added to the sampling pool for this next round of testing by calling 517-543-8858. There is no cost to participate in this sampling.
Copyright 2019 WILX. All rights reserved.
Want to see more local news ? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Appleand Android
and
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
