The City of Galesburg recently completed the required U.S. EPA water quality testing for lead for 2019. This testing consisted of collecting 30 samples from homes with lead service lines or lead solder. The City continues to have improving results. During this round of testing, the City had zero exceedances with the highest result being 7.4 ppb. The US EPA defines an exceedance as any result over 15 parts per billion. The 90th percentile for this year is 4.1 ppb. The U.S. EPA states that if a public water supply has more than 10% of the test results exceed the 15 ppb level that they have exceeded the action level for lead and must notify the public and take steps to reduce the lead in the water. This year’s results are very good with no test exceeding the action level. See attached results. For comparison purposes; this year’s data and the previous year’s data are listed below:
2019, 0 exceedances, highest value 7.4 ppb, 90th%tile = 4.1 ppb (30 tests)
2018, 0 exceedances, highest value 13 ppb, 90th%tile = 6.9 ppb (30 tests)
The City continues in its efforts to replace privately owned lead water service lines and has replaced over 1300 privately owned lead water service lines over the last three years. The City plans to replace another 350 of these lines by March 2020. It is estimated there will be 1500 privately owned active lead water service lines in the City after the current contract is completed in March 2020. The City also anticipates receiving an additional forgivable loan in 2020 from the Illinois EPA to replace an additional 500 lead water service lines.
***Report Courtesy of the City of Galesburg Public Works Department***
