PUBLIC ADVISORY

Redford Township Lead Action Level Exceedance

The Charter Township of Redford Water Department conducts periodic testing of tap water in homes for lead and copper. During our most recent round of sampling, we collected samples from 31 homes in Redford Township. The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) evaluates compliance with the Action Level based on the 90th percentile of lead and copper results collected in each round of sampling. The lead 90th percentile for the township’s water supply is 21 parts per billion (ppb), which exceeds the Action Level of 15 ppb.

The “Action Level” is not a health-based standard. It is a level that, when exceeded by more than 10% of the homes tested, triggers additional actions including, but not limited to, increased investigative sampling of water quality and educational outreach to customers.   The goal for lead in drinking water is 0 ppb; there is no safe level of lead in the blood.

The Charter Township of Redford’s water is supplied by the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA). GLWA routinely monitors the source water for lead.  If lead was detected in the source water, it would be reported on GLWA’s and Redford Township’s Consumer Confidence Reports.  Lead can enter drinking water when in contact with pipes, solder, home/building interior plumbing, fittings and fixtures that contain lead.  

In accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Redford Township Water Department tested 31 homes with known lead service lines.  Of the homes tested, four (4) homes showed levels above 15 ppb, triggering a public awareness and education campaign.

The Redford Township Water Department has set up this dedicated webpage to inform and educate the public, how to test home tap water, obtain water filters, learn of ways to reduce your exposure to lead in drinking water, and other resources. 

Redford Township Water Department would like to share some ways you can reduce your exposure to lead since lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water and other sources.

Lead can enter drinking water when in contact with pipes, solder, interior plumbing, fittings, and fixtures that contain lead.  Homes with lead service lines have an increased risk of having high lead levels in drinking water.  If water has been sitting in your pipes without being flushed out, the more lead it may contain.  Therefore, if your water has not been used for several hours, run the water before using it for drinking or cooking to help flush lead from pipes. Additional flushing may be required for homes that have been vacant or have a longer service line.

How to reduce your exposure to lead in drinking water: 

• Check whether your home has a lead service line.
• Run your water to flush out lead-containing water.

• If you do not have a lead service line, run the water for 30 seconds to two minutes, or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature.
• If you do have a lead service line, run the water for at least five minutes to flush water from your home or building’s plumbing and the lead service line.
• Everyone can consider using a filter to reduce lead in drinking water. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recommends every household use a certified lead filter to reduce lead from their drinking water, especially households with a child, or a child frequently visits the home, pregnant person, or individual with high blood pressure, or people residing in houses built before 1987. MDHHS also recommends making baby formula or cooking with filtered water.
  • Look for filters that are tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for particulate reduction (Class I).
  • For filters to work properly, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • DHHS recommends that filter cartridges are replaced every two months.

• Use cold water (not hot water) for drinking, cooking, or preparing baby formula.
• Do not boil your water as boiling will not reduce the amount of lead in water.

MDHHS recommends that residents use a certified lead-reducing drinking water filter if their home has or if they are uncertain if it has one of the following.

• Lead or galvanized plumbing.
• A lead service line carrying water from the street to their residence.
• Old faucets and fittings that were sold before 2014.

Residents who receive water from Redford Township Water Department are eligible for a filter at no cost if they live in a home where a Medicaid-enrolled child under 19 years of age or a Medicaid-enrolled pregnant person resides. 

From Tuesday, October 31 to Friday, November 3, 2023, Redford Township, in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Wayne County Department of Health, Human & Veteran Services, will distribute water filters (PUR and BRITA) to eligible Redford Township residents from 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Reford Township Community Center, 12121 Hemingway (north of Plymouth Rd, west of Beech Daly Rd.) Redford, MI 48239. There will also be a mobile health unit provided from the Wayne County Health Department onsite to conduct lead blood testing.

Eligible residents who are unable to attend the onsite lead filter distribution can pick up a faucet water filter beginning on November 6, 2023, at the Leo Snage Public Services Building at 12200 Beech Daly Road, Redford, MI 48239 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday. 

Redford Township Water Department will soon send a comprehensive public education document about lead in drinking water.  We will begin collecting sixty (60) water samples from sixty homes every six months and review the results to determine if corrective actions are necessary to reduce corrosion in household plumbing.   If you are a Redford Township water customer and would like your service line inspected, contact the Redford Township Water Department at 313-387-2670. 

Resources:

• Wayne County Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services is available to answer any health-related questions at waynecounty.com/lead or call the Public Health Community Hotline at 866-610-3885.
• If you would like your water sampled, use the link below for a list of certified labs at michigan.gov/EGLElab. 
• If you have a lead water service line and would like to participate in the Township’s water sampling program, contact Redford Township Water Department at 313-387-2670 or visit redfordtwp.com/220/Water-Sewer.
• To contact Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) call Environmental Assistance toll free at 800-662-9278. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/EGLELeadPublicAdvisory.
• To contact Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) call toll free at 800-648-6942. Additional information is available at michigan.gov/MILeadSafe.