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Small Town America Not Exempt from Lead Issues
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
There's no debating Galesburg has struggled with elevated lead levels over recent years. The small town of 35,000 with a rich history, located in western Illinois, was the home of the fifth Lincoln-Douglas debate in 1858. But the city, which boasts the birthplace of poet Carl Sandburg, is making another kind of history....ongoing issues with EPA compliance.
In 1992, the city tested drinking water in sixty homes and found over 10% exceeded the EPA action level of 15 parts per billion. The city attributes the elevated readings to its' lead infrastructure and lead-based faucets. Beginning in 1993 the city began adding a phosphate inhibitor to reduce lead levels, and is required to test the original sixty homes every six months until the lead levels are not exceeded by more than 10% of the homes. Elevated levels continue to exist.
To alert the community, the city has posted (on its website) several steps to be taken to minimize the risks of exposure. The city has also provided its citizens with a local number to call should individual residents like the water tested at their home. More information can be found at: www.ci.galesburg.il.us.
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