Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

DOWAGIAC — The City of Dowagiac is alerting residents about elevated lead levels in tested homes.

The City of Dowagiac issued a public advisory Thursday morning after lead was found to be above the Action Level in tested homes. Dowagiac issued the advisory after testing revealed lead levels in the homes 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, the city collected samples from 47 homes. The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy evaluates compliance with the Action Level based on the 90th percentile of lead and copper results collected in each round of sampling. The lead 90th percentile for the City’s water supply is 18 ppb, which exceeds the Action Level of 15 ppb.

The presence of lead was found to be primarily in service lines and household plumbing of older homes, not the source water itself.

This is the second time in 10 months that the city has detected elevated levels of lead in the community. In October 2023, the city found that four homes sampled between June and September 2022 did not meet the site selection criteria specified in the Safe Drinking Water Act. 

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.

MDHHS is offering free certified lead-reducing filters and replacement cartridges to City of Dowagiac households that have or are unsure if they have one of the below:

• Lead or galvanized plumbing.
• A lead service line carrying water from the street to their residence.
• Old faucets and fittings that were sold before 2014.

Include a Medicaid-enrolled child or children under 19 or Medicaid-enrolled pregnant person.

Foster care providers may be eligible for filter safety net assistance, please call 844-934-1315 for more information.

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

Dowagiac Dial-a-Ride will be available at no charge for customers travel to City Hall to pick up a filter during the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Use the DART On Demand App on your phone https://www.cityofdowagiac.com/residents/transportation_services/dart.php or call DART at 269-782-3300 for a ride.

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.

MDHHS filter eligibility questions: MDHHS Drinking Water Hotline at 844-934-1315.

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.