Michigan is holding virtual town halls to educate residents about soon-to-be-released results of new lead tests.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is holding educational sessions across the state in an effort to inform the public about the state’s new testing requirements.
The new requirement is that the fifth and first liter out of a faucet is what water systems must test. Originally the state required only the first liter out of a water system be tested.
Scott Dean is a spokesperson for EGLE. He said the results of the department’s new, more stringent tests will soon be released to the public.
“Michigan adopted what are probably the strictest lead testing protocols for lead testing in the country,” Dean said.
The new testing requirements are likely to result in water providers reporting higher lead levels than what people are used to.
“We just want folks to be armed with the information to protect their families,” Dean said.
The state is already in the process of removing all lead lines from water systems. Water suppliers are currently required to remove lead service lines at a rate of 5% per year. The expectation is that within 20 years there will be no lead service lines anywhere in the state.
A virtual town hall for the Northern Lower Peninsula will be held Wednesday at 7:00pm.
You can find a link to the broadcast and reporting on lead testing here: