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1. Is my water safe to drink?

YES! The City of Manistee does lead and copper sampling every year. We became aware of the results for this year’s samples recently. The water source, the water treatment and our water quality are safe. The City of Manistee is not in violation of the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act as it meets all safety standards as required by the State of Michigan. Homes that tested above the action level (15ppb) have been identified as likely to have copper plumbing with lead solder installed before July 1988. If you would like your service line inspected, please call 231-723-7132. Continue to read through the Manistee Lead Safe site, which provides information on how to minimize your risk to lead exposure.

2. Why did the City issue a Public Advisory about lead in our water now?

The City of Manistee has tested the water in the Community for years.  Recently, it began testing tap water in homes with lead service lines in accordance with the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act in 1992. After the Flint lead water crisis, the sampling procedure was changed. These changes now require communities with lead service lines to increase the number of sampling locations and draw multiple samples from each location.

This new sampling method resulted in higher lead results, not because the water source or quality for residents has changed, but because the Act has more stringent sampling procedures. As a result of the new sampling procedures,3 out of 20 tested homes with lead service lines measured lead exceeding the Action Level of 15 ppb. When a water sampling exceeds the amount by the state, the City must inform all residents of the results and provide public education.

3. What does this mean for me?

Lead enters drinking water when it comes in contact with individual homes that have lead service lines or internal plumbing made with lead. 

 

The more time water has been sitting in your home’s pipes, the more lead it may contain. Therefore, if your water has not been used for several hours, run the water before using it for drinking or cooking. This flushes lead-containing water from the pipes.  http://bit.ly/FlushYourPipes

 

Additional flushing may be required for homes that have been vacant or have a longer service line.

• If you do not have a lead service line, run the water for 30 seconds to two minutes, or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature. 
• If you do have a lead service line, run the water for at least five minutes
   to flush water from your home of building’s plumbing and the lead service line. 

 

Everyone can consider using a filter to reduce lead in drinking water. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recommends that any household with a child or pregnant woman use cold water and a certified lead filter to remove lead from their drinking water, especially when preparing baby formula. http://bit.ly/ChoosingLeadWaterFilter

1. Look for filters that are tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction.
2. For filters to work properly, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. If your household has a child or pregnant woman and are not able to afford the cost of a lead filter, please contact your County Health Department.

 

• Do not use hot water for drinking, preparing food, or cooking, or preparing baby formula.
• Do not boil your water as boiling will not reduce the amount of lead in water.
• Clean your faucet aerator to remove trapped debris. https://bit.ly/CleanYourAerator
• Get your child tested. Call 231-723-3595 or your family doctor.
• Get your drinking water tested. Call 231-723-7132 for a list of certified laboratories. 

Check if you have a lead service line or plumbing or fixtures that contain lead. Call 231-723-7132 for more information. http://bit.ly/LeadFreePlumbingMarks

4. Where can I get a filter?

Filters for qualifying residents can be picked up at the Department of Public Works, 280 Washington Street beginning Friday, November 12 at 8:00 a.m. After that date they can be picked up on weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

If you do not qualify to receive a free filter, you can purchase one at any hardware or big box store (Meijer, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, etc). Look for filters that are tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction. If this information is not on the box, look at the information inside the box (fine print on a folded piece of paper) http://bit.ly/ChoosingLeadWaterFilter 

5. How will I know if my water is safe to drink?

Since having lead in your drinking water is directly related to when your home was built, the service line and interior plumbing materials…it’s important to understand 

What sources of lead are in your home?  https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-08/documents/epa_lead_in_drinking_water_final_8.21.17.pdf 

            How lead gets into drinking water? https://youtu.be/6usRvbG0lWo 

            How you can reduce your exposure to lead in drinking water? https://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/deq-odwma-water-cdwu-reduce-lead_524538_7.pdf    

And to know about lead levels in the water at your home, we encourage you to test your water at your home. Please contact the City of Manistee DPW 231-723-7132 for a list of certified laboratories or the local health department 231-723-3595. http://bit.ly/LeadSampleBottleSelection

6. What is the city doing about this issue?

We’re taking a proactive approach to assess our water quality and our current treatment processes, as well as notify and educate our customers. Since 1994, the City of Manistee has regularly tested for lead and copper. In 2019, the City began actively searching for lead service lines in the system through the drinking water pilot program. When lead services are found, they are immediately replaced. The City has recently been awarded a Drinking Water Asset Management grant from EGLE which will also help identify areas in need of upgrades. This grant will fund water system inventory (GIS), GPS asset survey for future work, distribution system material inventory and investigation, condition assessment and rate sufficiency analysis.

 We will be collecting more samples and will be actively looking for lead service lines. Homes with lead service lines have an increased risk for higher lead levels. Please contact 231-723-7132 if you do not know what your service line material is and are interested in having your home inspected.

7. I’m not sure if I have a lead service line. What should I do?

If you do not know what your service line material is and are interested in having your home inspected, please contact City of Manistee DPW at 231-723-7132

Or…

1) You can hire a licensed plumber to inspect the plumbing in your home, or

2) You can look at the plumbing where it enters your home yourself.  Look for things like pipe color (copper-colored or grey) and whether a magnet sticks to your plumbing.  Copper plumbing will be reddish in color.  Grey pipe that a magnet sticks to is likely galvanized.  Grey pipe that a magnet will not stick to is likely lead. 

3) If you can see the test area, gently scratch the surface of the pipe with a coin. If the pipe is soft and easily scraped, silver, and again if a magnet doesn’t stick, it is lead. It may have a bulb in the pipe near the shutoff valve that looks like a snake that swallowed an egg. If you suspect there is a lead gooseneck connection in your home please contact the water department at 231-723-7132 to investigate.