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Officials: Lead Generally Not A Problem In Utah Drinking Water

Laura Nawrocik
/
Flickr Creative Commons
The drinking-water crisis in Flint, Mich., has many Americans wonder if their homes are at risk, too. Utah officials say it's improbable here for many reasons.

News reports nationwide about lead in drinking water have Utahns wondering whether dangerous levels of contamination could happen here.

Ken Bousfield leads the Utah Division of Drinking Water Quality, an agency that oversees 460 water-supply systems statewide that are routinely monitored for metals like lead, bacteria and harmful chemicals. He has a simple answer for anyone wondering if people in Utah are drinking water that contains too much lead.

“No, they’re not,” he says. “And we are vigilant to ensure that they are not drinking water that’s unsafe.”

One reason is Utah’s hard water, says Bousfield. Those minerals that leave a stubborn white film on glasses and toilet bowls also create a protective coat over solder and pipes that might contain lead. Utah districts also test water for corrosive properties that might cause leaching.

“We’re just seeing minimal and occasional exceedances where some states it’s – boy – nearly everybody’s having problems,” he says.

When tests do show lead higher than the federal standard of 15 parts per billion, Bousfield says his agency works with local officials to address the problem.

Salt Lake City Utilities Director Laura Briefer says her agency has been fielding calls from residents worried by the news reports.

“On the individual home level,” she says, “if there is a possibility that you have an older home and possible lead pipes, I think it’s very simple to just get that tested and see if there actually is a problem.

A list of laboratories is on the drinking-water agency’s web page, and water districts detail test results.

Also, concerned residents can flush their systems by running water for half a minute first thing in the morning.

Judy Fahys has reported in Utah for two decades, covering politics, government and business before taking on environmental issues. She loves covering Utah, where petroleum-pipeline spills, the nation’s radioactive legacy and other types of pollution provide endless fodder for stories. Previously, she worked for the Salt Lake Tribune in Utah, and reported on the nation’s capital for States News Service and the Scripps League newspaper chain. She is a longtime member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors. She also spent an academic year as a research fellow in the Knight Science Journalism program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In her spare time, she enjoys being out in the environment, especially hiking, gardening and watercolor painting.
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