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Campbell, Girard voluntary water tests come back within acceptable levels
By Sarah Lehr
YOUNGSTOWN
Amid concerns raised over water quality in Warren, Sebring and Flint, Mich., the cities of Campbell and Girard have decided to conduct extra tests of water from several sites.
Both Campbell and Girard have already complied with Ohio Environmental Protection Agency requirements for water testing. The most recent tests were voluntary.
Campbell tested 20 sites for lead, and Girard tested three sites for both lead and copper. All tests came back within federal acceptable levels.
“It was well worth it to put people’s minds at ease,” Campbell Mayor Nick Phillips said of the latest tests.
Campbell’s tests, commissioned through the Mahoning County District Board of Health, sampled water from Campbell Elementary School, Campbell High School, Tandy Retirement Home and Sycamore Place Apartments, along with 16 other sites.
The city chose the 16 other sites because they have service lines with lead piping or lead solder, according to a news release.
All 20 tests came back with lead levels of less than five parts per billion. The federal threshold for lead in drinking water is 15 parts per billion.
A city news release acknowledges Campbell has an “aging water distribution system,” but states the city uses anti-corrosive chemicals to prevent older pipes from leaching lead into water.
Girard commissioned its tests for both lead and copper through Cardinal Environmental Laboratories. The tests sampled water from Girard Elementary School, Girard Intermediate School and Girard High School.
All three lead tests came back as too low to be detected, meaning they were less than five parts per billion.
One copper test registered as below the detectable threshold of 10 parts per billion. The other two came back as 13.8 and 209 parts per billion. Copper levels less than 1,300 parts per billion are safe for drinking water, according to federal standards.
“We passed with flying colors,” Girard Service Director Jerry Lambert said of the tests.
Lambert said the city will conduct additional tests to ensure water is safe from all the city’s providers. Girard purchases water from Trumbull County, Niles, McDonald and Youngstown, Lambert said.