The Department of Public Works is looking for about 15 residents who would be willing to test their household water for lead and copper twice a year. Currently, 10 volunteers test their water for those elements every three years, but the Department of Environmental Protection will soon require twice-yearly testing of at least 20 households. Upcoming changes to the town’s public water system mandate the increased testing. (See story)
To qualify, volunteers must be on the town water supply and cannot have any filters on the water lines in their house. The DPW will supply bottles and directions, pick up samples, and provide a copy of the test results at no charge to homeowners. If results show high levels of lead or copper, DPW Director Tim Kilhart said it would be up to the homeowner to take further action.
Kilhart told the Press there are no lead service lines in town, only iron, but lead can sometimes leach into drinking water from old brass faucets or valves in a home’s plumbing system. He said the service lines into all the houses on the town water system are copper, required by state code.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, copper can leach into drinking water from corrosion of copper pipes if the water is acidic. Using the pH scale of 0 to 14, where 7 indicates neutral and values lower than 7 indicate acidity, Kilhart said water blended from the two wells that supply town water tested at 7 last year. Well #5, which is the only well currently in use, tested at 7.5, and well #2 tested at 6.7.
High levels of copper can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, and very high levels can damage the liver or kidneys. Lead can affect nearly every organ and system in the body, especially the nervous system, and it is most dangerous for children and pregnant women.
The DEP must first certify the list of volunteers, and testing will likely need to begin in 2022, so Kilhart wants to have a list ready as soon as possible. To volunteer, or for more information, contact Tim Kilhart at 978-456-4130.
