Ohio Requires Mapping Of Lead Pipes In Water Systems
By Peak Johnson
The aftereffects of Flint, MI, can still being felt by countless cities around the country. In Ohio, a similar incident took place in the village of Sebring earlier this year, prompting officials to act.
It was in January when a water treatment operator in Sebring faced a criminal investigation from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency after elevated levels of lead and copper were found in the tap water, WKBN reported.
The U.S. EPA was in the process of reviewing federal lead laws, but no changes were expected for a year or two, Ohio EPA spokeswoman Heidi Griesmer told The Plain Dealer
"Which was one of the main reasons we pushed for House Bill 512," Griesmer added.
In June, Governor Kasich signed legislation, that implemented a series of new restrictions on lead in the state's drinking water, The Plain Dealer reported. The changes included notifications of residents whose homes were found to have lead in the drinking and also a requirement that “every public water system in the state identify and map the locations of lead piping in their entire service areas.”
"The mapping provides a great piece of information for homeowners to know," Ohio EPA Director Craig Butler told The Plain Dealer. "It's also a great way for cities and municipalities to target their resources for point-of-use filtration or lead line replacement, and it lets the water systems target where those lines are in cases of lead exceedance."
According to Griesmer, if the water system's corrosion control treatments are correct, the pipes should be protected from allowing lead to enter into the water. However, if the water system has to identify the parts of its service area that could be at risk of lead contamination, the mapping will assist in identifying where the lead pipes are located.
According to The Plain Dealer, the deadline for completion of the mapping requirement is March of next year. Some water systems, like Cleveland's, have completed mapping the underground piping in their service areas.
The new law requires every water system to update the maps every five years, The Plain Dealer reported.
"The bill is the most significant effort in the country to address lead contamination in our drinking water," Melanie Houston, the Ohio Environmental Council's director of oil and gas told The Plain Dealer.