Let’s Get the Lead Out!
It’s a Team Effort!
A Community united to create a safe,
lead-free environment for healthy kids
and healthy families
The lead legacy –
Sources of lead in our lives . . .
1. Water Lines
Presented by: Nancy Quirk, Green Bay Water Utility
2. Lead-based Paint
Presented by:
Kathy Janssen, Brown County Public Health Nurse
Nancy Quirk
Green Bay Water Utility Manager
We have great water!
Green Bay Water
starts here . . .
• Source: Pipes deep in Lake Michigan
• ZERO lead detected in raw source water
• Pumped to our filter plant in Sugarbush
. . . and is continuously monitored by Certified
Water Operator Professionals
• Undergoes a multi-step filtration process
• ZERO lead detected in treated water
• Lead-free water distributed to all
• Then it arrives at your home
How Does Lead Get in My Water?
A. Old lead services from the street to the house
•
The last lead service was installed in 1944
•
Currently, approx. 5% of Green Bay customers
B. Lead Solder in pipes in your home
•
Banned in Wisconsin in 1984
C. Lead plumbing, including faucets
“What does that mean?”
Definitions
• GBWU = Green Bay Water
Utility
• EPA = Environmental
Protection Agency
• PPB = Parts per Billion
Driverlayer.com
How was the lead issue determined?
• Lead service lines installed prior to 1945
• EPA mandated lead testing for all utilities in 1992
• GBWU began testing samples in homes
• 1992-2010 – Lead levels met the action level requirements
of the Safe Drinking Water Act
• 2011 – Some samples were found above the action level
How is the GBWU addressing the lead issue?
• Four-Fold Approach
1. Water Studies
2. Unidirectional Flushing Program
3. Removal of Lead Services
4. Community Education
A Four-Fold Approach . . .
1. Water Studies
• Working with laboratories and the EPA we have:
• Determined the source of the issue
• Sought the most effective solutions
A Four-Fold Approach . . .
2. Unidirectional Flushing
• In 2015, the GBWU
completed Unidirectional
Flushing of all 440 miles of
water main to remove loose
particles in the water.
A Four-Fold Approach . . .
3. Removal of old Lead Services
• GBWU has been removing old lead
services for 20 years
• Currently only 5% (1,703) of GBWU
customers have lead services
• Goal: To remove ALL lead lines
• Removal is done during street
resurfacing projects when possible
How costs are shared . . .
Working together we’ll get this job done!
• If only the UTILITY’S portion of the service is lead, it is the UTILITY’s
responsibility.
• If the HOMEOWNER’s portion is also lead, it is the UTILITY’s and the
HOMEOWNER’s joint responsibility. Both portions must be replaced at
the same time.
This is what a
Curb Stop looks like
What we’re doing to
off-set costs
We understand everyone has budget concerns and
we are researching ways of reducing costs and
finding supplemental monies
• Contacting U. S. Congress &
State Legislature for help
• City is looking at how they can help
A Four-Fold Approach . . .
4. Community Education
Knowledge is Power!
• Annual “Lead in Drinking Water” Brochure
• Annual Consumer Confidence Report
• Biannual Press Releases to media
• Regular Updates on Utility web site &
other social media
• Informational letters & post cards
• Meetings like this!
Until it’s fixed,
we need to take
care of our
community’s kids
Here are some
steps YOU can
take to protect
your family . . .
Run your COLD WATER 1 to 2 minutes
for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula
ALWAYS wash your child’s hands with soap & water
- Before snacks & meals
- After playing outside
Lead absorption increases when there is not enough
iron, calcium, or Vitamin C
Serve foods high in these vitamins & low in
carbohydrates
Boiling will not remove lead
Questions?
• If you have questions about the quality of
your water please don’t hesitate to call us
• We will post updates as they occur
• Stay in touch! Our web site is:
GBWater.org
Kathy Janssen RN
Brown County Public Health Nurse
What is Lead?
Lead is a metal found in the environment
Lead was used in household paint until 1978
Lead was used in gasoline until the early 1980s
Lead in some pipes for drinking water until 1986
Most common sources of lead are in paint in homes built before 1978
Examples are: peeling/chipping paint or dust especially on windowsills, wood
trim, doors or floors
Other sources: toys, imported products-pottery/ceramics, imported canned
goods, imported spices, cosmetics, vinyl mini blinds, lead dust that adults
bring home from jobs that use lead (construction, mechanics, welders,
manufacturing batteries) or from hobbies (leaded glass, leaded fishing lures)
LEAD IS A TOXIN (Poison) to humans and animals
How does lead get into the body?
•
Ingestion-(hand to mouth behaviors)-most common source of exposure for children.
Children absorb 50% of lead they ingest- 5 x’s more than adults
•
Inhalation- (breathing in) lead dust is easily absorbed through the lungs.
•
Lead dust is not absorbed through the skin
•
Children especially under the age of 6 are more vulnerable to effects of lead
•
•
Lead dust settles on
surfaces that young
children can reachwindowsills, floors
→→
→
Young children put
their toys and hands
in their mouths and
swallow lead dust or
chips
Lead is
absorbed and
circulates in
the
bloodstream
It is then
absorbed from
the blood into
the organs
(Brain, bone,
muscle & kidney,
etc.)
Known Health effects from lead
exposure
Children:
• Harmful to a child’s brain and nervous system
• Reduced IQ
• Delayed growth and development
• Learning disabilities
• Speech problems
• Hearing Loss
• Kidney damage
• Digestive problems
• Behavior and attention disorders i.e. ADD/ADHD
• Most importantly, it can cause irreversible damage to the central nervous
system (brain) at very high levels, lead exposure can cause seizures, coma
and death
As teens:
• School disciplinary problems, higher high school dropout rates, depression,
juvenile delinquency
As Adults:
Fertility Problems, pregnancy-higher rate of miscarriage, lower birth rate.
Criminal activity, more likely to develop kidney disease, diabetes, high blood
pressure, cardiovascular disease
The only way to know if a child is lead poisoned is to have the child’s blood tested.
The child should be tested for lead at ages 1 and 2 years old and also if has never
been tested before. (testing done through Doctor’s office, WIC)
•
•
•
•
•
Lives in home built before 1978
Visits a daycare/relatives home built before 1978
Home/daycare has chipping/peeling paint
Sibling is lead poisoned
Adults in home works with lead
• Children from low-income families are at greater risk for lead poisoning, largely
because they have limited options for selecting housing.
• In WI in 2014, only 62% of 1 year-olds, 48% of 2-year-olds, and 16% of children
aged 3-5 year-olds who were not previously tested were tested.
• Blood lead levels of 5 ug/dL and above are considered elevated. However, no level of
lead in the blood is safe.
Green Bay
• In 2014: 17 children had lead levels of 5 ug/dL or greater
• Two addresses had lead service lines the others did not
• In 2015: 19 children had lead levels of 5 ug/dL or greater
• Three addresses had lead service lines the others did not
• WI Statute 254: If the child’s lead level would reach 20
ug/dL or more, a lead hazard investigation is conducted to
accurately identify lead hazards in the home.
The most common household lead hazards are lead-based paint, varnish, lead
dust and contaminated soil.
You can test for Lead
RENOVATION/REPAIR
• Repair work on a Pre-1978 home/building can create a Lead dust/chip
Hazard.
• Owner-Occupants need to learn lead-safe work practices First!
• Read the EPA Fact Sheet: Use a Lead-Safe Certified Contractor!
DISCLOSURE
• Landlords must provide Lead-Disclosure information to tenants at time
of signing the lease. It’s the Law!
• Homeowners must provide Lead-Disclosure information to Prospective
buyers. It’s the Law!
**The MOST important step is to prevent lead exposure before it occurs!
Long-term effects of lead poisoning on a child, family, and the community
are profound!
RESOURCES
Brown County Health Department Website- http://co.brown.wi.us
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – http://www.epa.gov/lead/protect-your-family-exposureslead
Wisconsin Department of Health Services- http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/lead
Housing and Urban Development (HUD)- http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead
National Center for Healthy Housing- www.nchh.org
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)- www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead
U.S. Consumer product Safety Commission (CSPC)- http://www.cpsc.gov