Find out everything you need to know about what’s in your water by attending a meeting in St. Paul this November.
The St. Paul Regional Water Services will host two public meetings on drinking water quality later this month.
The first hourlong meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Merriam Park library. A second will be at 7 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Dayton’s Bluff recreation center in the multipurpose room.
There are up to 28,000 homes in the water services coverage area — St. Paul and neighboring communities — that have private lead service lines that deliver drinking water from the water main into the residence. About half of those homes also have lead service lines in the street.
Lead pipes stopped being installed in 1927 with a few exceptions.
While St. Paul Regional Water Services treats water to reduce the risk of leaching from lead pipes, some homes may have higher levels of lead than desirable.
The St. Paul Regional Water Services coverage area is in compliance with lead and copper regulations imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Here’s how you can learn more about your water:
- Find out if you have a lead service line by calling 651-266-6270.
- Test your water lead levels. St. Paul Regional Water Services will test it for free.
- Remove your lead line and replace it with a copper one. The city offers financing to help cover the costs.
Other tips:
- Run water from your tap for 3 to 5 minutes before using it for drinking of cooking if the water hasn’t been used for more than six hours.
- Buy a home filtration system or a water filter pitcher certified for lead removal and use for drinking and cooking.
For more information, go to http://pioneerpr.es/yh0Dzq.