Special to the Sun Transcript
Town Manager Anthony Marino, Public Works Director Steven R. Calla and Health Director Meredith Hurley are issuing a notice to the Winthrop community, as required under recent revisions to federal public water guidelines.
Recent revisions to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule now require a public notification within 24 hours for any high lead level, specifically if any lead action level is found to be above the 90th Percentile calculation for the sampling round.
Winthrop still has 418 homes with lead water service pipes, referred to as Tier-1 locations, however federal guidelines require that the town notify all water consumers within the town about a lead action level sampling. The town is required to sample 20 Tier-1 locations each September, and public notice is required if lead levels are found to exceed 15 parts-per-billion (ppb).
In the most recent sampling, three of the 20 samples tested were above the lead action level.
This notice does not affect general water guidelines in Winthrop. No action is necessary and no boil water or other such order is needed.
While the Town of Winthrop notification is required to send this notice to all water customers, it is of greatest importance to the 418 homes that still have an active full lead service line. Winthrop’s receives its water from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) and once the water reaches town it travels through cast iron and ductile iron piping which also does not add any lead to the drinking water.
However, it is possible for lead to leach into drinking water through the service line that connects a home to the distribution system if it is made of lead. Lead may also be introduced to drinking water within a home from older lead solder used to connect pipes in older home plumbing, and from some older brass faucets and fixtures.
Winthrop’s drinking water remains safe and comes from one of the highest quality drinking water supplies in the country. The EPA is seeking to urgently remind all public water customers to inform the public about the inherent risks of lead exposure in drinking water and to offer guidelines on how to reduce and mitigate risks.
The best way to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water is to determine whether or not your home still has a full lead service line connecting you to the Town’s Water Distribution System and if you do, have it removed. The town, through a state program, is funding the free removal of 100 full lead home service lines each year and are on track to remove all tier-1 locations from our system over the next four years.
A tier-1 location is a home that has a known full lead service line extending from the water main in the street to the connection to internal plumbing within the home and it is these locations that have a higher likelihood of elevated levels.
Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serous adverse health effects in all age groups:
• Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention spans.
• Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems.
• The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of the adverse health effects.
• Adults can have increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems.
Additionally Winthrop Public Works offers the following guidelines:
• Always only use cold, fresh water for cooking, and preparing baby formula.
• Water should be run at least one minute or until the water turns cold prior to filling pots for cooking.
• Never boil water to try to remove lead, as this is not a viable solution.
• Contact your health care provider if you have any health-related questions or contact your local health department to find out if your child needs to be tested for lead.
Winthrop’s Lead Monitoring Program is a targeted testing pool made up of 20 tier-1 locations each year from the 418 homes that still have a known lead service line. The sampling is performed at these locations because these homes have a higher likelihood of elevated lead levels.
“Winthrop has always been, and will remain, aggressive in our lead line replacement program,†Director Calla said. “We are committed to removing all remaining service lines running into Winthrop’s homes by 2026.â€
Winthrop’s lead line replacement program is funded through a 0% interest municipal loan with MWRA and is offered free to residents. Contact the Winthrop Water Department at 617-846-1341 for any questions about your service line and for any additional questions or information regarding lead in drinking water and ways to reduce exposure.