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DOWAGIAC — The City of Dowagiac is alerting residents about elevated lead levels in the water supply.

The City of Dowagiac issued a public advisory Monday morning after lead was found to be above the Action Level in the public water supply. Dowagiac issued the advisory after testing revealed lead levels in the City of Dowagiac were above the state’s Action Level Exceedance for lead in water.

The “Action Level” is a measure of corrosion control effectiveness; it is not a health-based standard. The goal for lead in drinking water is 0 parts per billion; there is no safe level of lead in the blood.

An “Action Level exceedance” means that more than 10 percent of the homes tested have results over 15 ppb. An exceedance triggers additional actions including educational outreach to customers, increased sampling, and service line replacement.

According to the release, a recent review by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has resulted in a re-evaluation of the City of Dowagiac’s 2022 lead and copper compliance. Additional documentation provided during EPA’s review and a follow-up investigation by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) found that four homes sampled between June and September 2022 did not meet the site selection criteria specified in the Safe Drinking Water Act. 

Because of this, samples collected from these sites cannot be used for compliance and the 90th percentile has been recalculated. The original compliance calculation was based on samples collected from 21 homes and resulted in a lead 90th percentile value of 15 parts per billion (ppb). The recalculated lead 90th percentile is based on samples collected from the remaining 17 homes and resulted in a 90th percentile value of 17 ppb, which exceeds the lead Action Level of 15 ppb.

Compliance with the Action Level is based on the 90th percentile of lead and copper results collected in each round of sampling.

How to reduce your exposure to lead in drinking water

Run your water to flush out lead-containing water.

o If you do not have a lead service line, run the water for 30 seconds to two minutes, or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature.

o If you do have a lead service line, run the water for at least five minutes to flush water from your home or building’s plumbing and the lead service line.

Do not use hot water for drinking, preparing food, or cooking, or preparing or preparing baby formula.

Do not boil your water as boiling will not reduce the amount of lead in water.

Clean your faucet aerator to remove trapped debris.

Everyone can consider using a filter to reduce lead in drinking water. MDHHS recommends every household use a certified lead filter to reduce lead from their drinking water, especially households with a child, or a child frequently visits the home, pregnant person, or individual with high blood pressure, or people residing in houses built before 1987. MDHHS also recommends making baby formula or cooking with filtered water.

o Look for filters that are tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for particulate reduction (Class I).

o For filters to work properly, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

o DHHS recommends that filter cartridges are replaced every two months.

o MDHHS is offering free certified lead-reducing filters and replacement cartridges to eligible households. These criteria are: Has a child under the age of 19 on Medicaid who resides in the home, or Is a pregnant person on Medicaid. If you have questions, please contact the MDHHS Drinking Water Hotline at (844)934-1315.

The city will provide one filter per household served by the City of Dowagiac water utility for those who do not qualify for free MDHHS filters. Filters can be obtained at:

City of Dowagiac City Hall, 241 S. Front St., Dowagiac.

• Phone: (269) 782-2195
• Hours: M-F 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 7, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday, Oct 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Van Buren- Cass District Health Department, 302 Main St., Dowagiac

• Phone: (269) 539-5503
• Hours: M-Th 8 a.m. to 4 p.m; Fri 8:00 a.m. to Noon

The city will soon send a comprehensive public education document about lead in drinking water. The city will be collecting additional samples and reviewing the results with EGLE to determine if corrective actions are necessary to reduce corrosion in household plumbing.

Those with questions about:

Service line materials for your home – Dowagiac Customers contact (269) 782- 2195 to learn more about their service line and schedule an inspection.

Testing your water for lead – Visit Michigan.gov/EGLElab for a list of certified labs.

Health related questions – Contact the Van Buren/Cass Community Health Agency at (269) 254-7449.

Operating a food establishment such as a store, restaurant, bar, or food manufacturing establishment – Visit this page Michigan.gov/mdardleadinfo for specific information for food firms.

Regulatory questions about the Safe Drinking Water Act – Contact EGLE at (800) 662-9278.

Pokagon Health Services is also providing support for Pokagon Band Citizens. Please contact Pokagon Health Services at (269) 782-4141.

Additional information regarding lead can be found at Dowagiac’s website www.cityofdowagiac.com or at EGLE and MDHHS websites: Michigan.gov/EGLELeadPublicAdvisory or Michigan.gov/MILeadSafe.