Clarksburg's aging water system not showing problems with lead, regulator says

“We have not had a problem with lead and copper in Clarksburg,” Cobb told water board members during their rescheduled regular meeting.

Flint, Michigan, is amid a water crisis caused by a 2014 decision to switch its source of water from Detroit’s system to the Flint River to save money. The city didn’t treat the new source of water to prevent higher lead levels.

Clarksburg’s water system has been testing its potable water supply for lead and copper under protocols developed about 25 years ago by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cobb said.

Under EPA standards, lead levels are not to exceed 15 parts per billion, while the maximum allowable level of copper is 1.3 parts per million, Cobb said.

The water board is on a three-year testing cycle, and the samples include 30 homes with lead service lines or copper pipes with lead solder, he said.

During the water board’s last tests in June 2013, the average lead level was 6.5 parts per billion, with 10.2 parts per billion being the highest reading, Cobb said.

Both the average level and highest reading were below the maximum allowable amounts under EPA standards, Cobb said.

The next round of tests for Clarksburg will take place this summer, he said.

Lab workers at the water treatment plant also regularly test the water for pH, alkalinity, calcium concentration, total dissolved solids and temperature, Cobb said.

Results are calculated for an index that measures corrosion, which can result in lead dislodging from lines and getting in the water, Cobb said.

A good reading on the index falls between negative 1 and positive 1, Cobb said.

The board’s January report showed the water system’s average reading at negative 0.1, with the lowest level being negative 0.36 and the highest reading at positive 0.31, he said.

In the wake of the Flint water crisis, though, the EPA is revisiting testing protocols, Cobb informed the board.

For instance, the EPA is recommending that sampling instructions to homeowners not include flushing the lines before leaving them stagnant for six hours, Cobb said.

Flushing removes water that may have been contact with the lead service lines, he said.

The EPA recommends that homeowners regularly clean aerators, but not during testing as that could mask the presence of lead in the samples, Cobb said.

“Get ready, because I don’t know what the EPA is going to be throwing out,” Cobb said.

Board member Al Cox questioned testing the same 30 homes every three years.

“How about other sections of the community?” Cox asked.

The 30 residents who participate in the testing are a good cross section of the community, said Dick Welch, the board’s general manager.

“You also get a track record by testing the same locations,” Welch said.

In other business, the board:

— Heard an update on a project to remove three of the board’s dams on the West Fork River.

The state Department of Environmental Protection has issued a final permit for the project, Welch said.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Canaan Valley Institute and other partners in the project will have a pre-construction meeting Friday morning at the board’s office, followed by a visit to each dam, Welch said.

“They plan to begin site preparations next week, with the intention of notching the first dam March 21,” Welch said.

The board wants to remove the Two Lick, Highland and West Milford dams to rid itself of liability and maintenance costs.

— Heard an update on renovations planned to the administrative wing of the treatment plant.

The bid opening was Wednesday, and Lee Reger of Shinnston submitted the apparent low bid of $246,315, Welch said.

The Thrasher Group, which designed the renovations, will review the bid documents and make a recommendation to the board at its next meeting, Welch said.

Renovations are planned at the customer service area, Welch’s office and the board’s meeting room.