WKSU News: Lead in Drinking Water Could Be a Statewide Problem

Friday, January 29, 2016 Lead in Drinking Water Could Be a Statewide Problem The state agency is looking for more leadership from Washington in taking on lead problem by WKSU's JEFF ST. CLAIR	Reporter / Host Jeff St. Clair

Fourteen communities across Ohio currently have drinking water lead advisories in effect, including Sebring.

Courtesy of Steve Johnson Flickr CC

Lead in the drinking water in the village of Sebring, Ohio may not be an isolated incident according to an Ohio EPA spokeswoman.

Heidi Griesmer says the agency is monitoring water systems throughout the state.

Griesmer acknowledges that the Ohio EPA could have been more aggressive in pushing Sebring water officials to notify customers of lead issues earlier.

She says the state agency is asking the US EPA to step up water quality enforcement requirements.

LISTEN: OEPA wants feds to tighten rules

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“Right now the federal rules other than notifying customers right away, water systems don’t have to do anything to fix the problem - there’s no immediate action that’s required," says Griesmer. "It can take months or years before anything is fixed, and we don’t think that is acceptable.”

Griesmer says Ohio’s policies for ensuring a safe drinking water supply are based on the federal rules.

The US EPA in 2005 estimated that around four percent of the nation’s water systems have elevated levels of lead.