Maddy Lauria Tests have shown that drinking water in some older Lewes homes has elevated levels of lead, state health officials said Thursday.
The Division of Public Health was notified late last week by the Lewes Board of Public Works that drinking water samples collected in three of 10 homes tested in August exceeded the EPA Action Level for lead, officials said.
Lewes BPW General Manager Darren Gordon said Thursday after the state alert was issued that the city’s drinking water source is safe.
Lewes draws its water from five wells, which are regularly tested for lead and other contaminants.
Gordon said the BPW specifically targeted an area with older homes that may have had lead service pipes or plumbing that can leach lead into water.
There is no safe level for lead in drinking water.
State health officials advise that residents run water for 30 seconds before using it in order to flush lead from plumbing; use cold water when cooking or preparing baby formula; or consider bottled water as an alternative.
To find a test kit, call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or go to www.epa.gov/safewater/labs.
The contamination found in Lewes comes on the heels of a discovery of elevated levels of lead and copper in the drinking water at more than a dozen Detroit public schools.
Less than 100 miles away in Flint, Michigan, people are still dealing with tainted water years after a change in water service led to serious drinking water contamination in that town.