Residents of Dowagiac are being advised the city’s drinking water has been flagged by the EPA as exceeding testing standards for lead.
A review of data from 2022 testing has found Dowagiac’s lead levels are 17 parts per billion, above the federal Action Level of 15 parts per billion.
Dowagiac City Manager Kevin Anderson tells us this is due to some of the tests taken last year being removed from the sample calculation. He says the water coming out of the plant is fine.
“The water itself that comes from our treatment plant does not have any trace elements of lead in it, and it does not have it through our distribution system as it gets to the houses,” Anderson said. “Where the issue can arise is when somebody has a lead line or lead in their house.”
Anderson says residents need to determine if there’s a lead service line connecting the municipal system to their home. In the meantime, the city is giving out lead filters to anyone who requests one.
“Our levels are relatively low. It’s not coming from the source, but it’s very important for us to get this word out and offer filtration for people.”
An Action Level exceedance means that more than 10% of the homes tested have results over 15 parts per billion of lead. An exceedance triggers additional actions including educational outreach to customers, increased sampling, and service line replacements, which Anderson says the city is doing.
Anyone with questions can call city hall.
