The League of Women Voters just completed a four year study on lead. Now they are trying to determine a source.
NUECES COUNTY, Texas — A four year study on the impact on lead poisoning in children living in Nueces County was presented to County Commissioners on Wednesday by the League of Women Voters.
The group sent off a request to the Texas Department of State Health Services for data from 44 area zip codes looking for the number of children under 6 with elevated blood lead levels between the years of 2012 and 2017. What they found was that nearly 400 children reported some sort of lead poisoning in just the top 12 zip codes.
Kathryn Oler is the President of the Corpus Christi League of Women Voters and says the highest numbers came from two zip codes; 78515, which is the area from around Del Mar College East to Tierra Grande and 78380, mostly made up of Robstown.
"We don't know why they are so high there. We don't know the conditions if its through the water or some of the other carries of lead like paint so that's something that needs to be discovered and moved on, but we have awareness of that now," said Oler.
The study was prompted by reports of water dangers from Flint, Michigan back in 2017.
The study also looked at local water systems as a possible source of the contamination. They say no amount of lead is safe for human consumption, and that the action level for many systems is 15 parts per billion.
The City of Corpus Christi says there are no traceable amounts of lead in the Corpus Christi Water System. According to the Water Department, the water is treated with minerals and practices in order to ensure it is lead free from the source to the meter.
Representatives with the Water Department say when the water leaves the meter and goes into the home, that's where issues can arise. For that reason, the City of Corpus Christi offers free lead testing kits. Residents of Corpus Christi can request a free kit to test their tap water with this link.
The League of Women Voters says there could be hundreds more children in Nueces County with lead poisoning.
"With lead poisoning in children it can cause difficulties in mental health and controlling emotions and behavior and change their performance at school and ability to learn; and even in later years these situations can continue because once the lead is in your body you cant get rid of it easily," said Oler.
They also suggest some tips that that may help protect your family. The league says to monitor lead levels annually, be sure to flush the line for 30 second before consuming the water, also install lead removal faucet filters. They say you shouldn't consume hot water from the tap either, and water softeners can remove protective chemicals from the water.
Below is a Frequently Asked Questions Sheet put together by the Water Utilities Department and updated as of June 2021:
Water Utilities | June 2, 2021
FAQ’s: Free Lead-in-Water Test Kits
Q: Does the city’s water have lead in it? Is this why we need the test kits?
A: No, lead is undetectable in the city’s water distribution system from the time it leaves our O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant to the time it reaches the customer’s water meter. Thousands of samples are tested annually by our laboratory technicians to ensure quality and safety of our drinking water. When water goes beyond the customer’s water meter, lead can possibly be absorbed by solder, pipes, plumbing and fixtures inside of a customer’s dwelling or business. That’s what these kits are intended to test for.
Q: How do I get a free lead kit?
A: To get a kit you must visit leadtest.cctxwater.com and fill out the online registration form (available in English and in Spanish). Once you’ve submitted your request, your kit will be delivered to you by a Water Utilities employee on the address you provided on the form.
Q: Who should test for lead in their home or business?
A: Structures built before 1986, with no known upgrades to pipes, plumbing or fixtures are more susceptible to possible lead contamination in water than dwellings built afterwards. However, this program is open to all Corpus Christi Water Utility customers.
Q: I don’t have internet and I want a kit, how am I supposed to get one?
A: Representative: ask for the name, address, and call back number of the individual
requesting a kit without internet. Send their information on behalf of the customer via email to:
TO: waterquality@cctexas.com
SUBJECT: Customer request for Lead-in-Water Test Kit
BODY: Customer name, address, and call-back number
Q: How will I know if I’m doing the test correctly?
A: The site leadtest.cctxwater.com has a how-to-video and step-by-step instructions in English and in Spanish. Your test kit will also come with step-by-step instructions.
Q: What happens after I’ve taken my water sample?
A: You can drop the box off at the designated shipping vendor or contact the Water Utilities Laboratory on the number provided with the test kit to pick up the packaged water sample for you.
Q: Who will test my water sample?
A. Tests on water samples are conducted by an independent, 3rd party laboratory. Results will be sent back to a certified Corpus Christi Water Utilities Laboratory technician to either email or mail back to you.
Q: What happens if my dwelling shows detectable results for lead?
A: If your address indicates detectable parts per million of lead, instructions will be sent to you of recommended next steps.
Q: I’m worried that the place of business I work at may have lead in the water, can I request a kit for a sample to be tested?
A: Only the business owner or the decision maker listed on the water utility account will be able to request and authorize delivery sign-off for the lead-in-water test kit.
Q: If there is no lead in the city’s water system, why are you doing this?
A: This free program is modeled off similar campaigns currently being offered in larger cities such as Austin, Denver, and New York City. As part of community outreach, this campaign is an opportunity to provide our water utility customers peace-of-mind and information for safe drinking water.
Q: Will there be enough kits for everyone in the city?
A: No, supplies are limited.
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