THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE STORY BY JENNIFER BAILEY
may contain lead” were to be informative, not alarming, Aqua officials say.Danville City Council Ward 1 Alderman Robert Williams brought up the letter at Tuesday night’s council meeting that he and others received on Tuesday from Aqua.
Williams asked if the city’s water is safe to drink.
Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. and Public Works Director Dave Ruwe said they’d not seen the letter and would review it, do some research with Aqua and
get back to the aldermen.
Fellow Ward 1 Alderman Ed Butler also said he and some other residents have problems with rust in their water.
Mayor Williams said all local utilities are privately owned.
“The water is safe to drink,” said Jonathan Keim, Aqua area manager for the East Central Division of Aqua Illinois.
“Illinois passed a new regulation requiring all utilities to develop an inventory of the materials for each water service line in their system.
The first drafts of these inventories were completed in April 2024. The law requires that after completing this draft inventory, utilities send
letters to residents with lead, galvanized requiring replacement, or unknown service line materials notifying them of their expected material,”
Keim said.
“The regulation applies to all utilities and was not triggered by any changes in the water quality or new testing results. The letter was intended to be informational so that people are aware of the potential for lead exposure from their water service line and provide steps people can take to reduce the risk of lead exposure,” according to Keim.
The letters tell water customers that the “water system does not have record of your service line. All service lines that are unknown will be identified as suspected lead service lines.”
It also talks about the health effects of lead, as lead exposure can lead to new or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems and adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems; and that “work on your service line may result in
sediment, possibly contains lead from the service line in the building’s water.”
The letter continues with some preventative measures customers can take to help reduce the amount of lead in drinking water.
There also is a phone number to call about Aqua’s lead service line replacement program. Aqua Illinois is reviewing funding and financing options for lead service line replacement (LSLR). Updates will be posted on Aqua’s website as programs are finalized.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “an estimated 9.2 million lead service lines (LSLs) serve water to properties in communities
across the United States. In order to meet the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of replacing 100% of LSLs, communities, water systems and homeowners can access the variety of materials to engage with community members, identify funding sources, plan an inventory, and conduct lead service line replacement (LSLR).”
