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Sebring, Beloit residents get free bottled water during municipal water crisis
SEBRING
Sebring and Beloit residents who lined up for free bottled water Saturday at Sebring Community Center are concerned about the safety of their drinking water after learning that samples from seven homes last summer and fall contained lead levels exceeding required standards.
“It’s a little bit scary,” said Kaitlyn Nezbeth of Beloit, who has a 3-year-old daughter. Beloit gets its water from Sebring.
Nezbeth, who said it is very helpful to receive the bottled water provided by the Mahoning County Emergency Management Agency, said she plans to take her daughter to a free blood lead-screening clinic scheduled for children under 6 and pregnant and breast-feeding women. The clinic, operated by the Mahoning County District Board of Health, is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at B.L. Miller Elementary School, 506 W. Virginia Ave.
Richard D. Giroux, Sebring village manager, said he hopes to have results from water tests performed this weekend by the county health board lab available today or Monday so the village knows what action, if any, is necessary to make its water safe for drinking.
However, until further notice, the county health board urges children, infants and pregnant and breast-feeding women particularly to use bottled water for drinking, cooking and formula-making.
Officials handing out water Saturday did not know specifically how many people received free water, but it appeared to be in the hundreds.
Among them were Aaron and Jill Summers of Sebring, who have three sons, 11 and twins, 9.
“I’d like to know more about the lead and what makes it harmful,” Jill said.
Dori Boggs of Sebring, who has had some lead removed from her older home, said she is well aware of the dangers of lead.
Her question is: How long will the lead warning last?
Boggs’ mother, Jana Hunt of Sebring, said her granddaughter, a veterinary technician, told her lead can be harmful to pets. So Hunt wants to know why, if the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency knew of the danger last fall, the village is just now hearing about it.
Representatives of the American Red Cross Lake to River Chapter were on hand to offer help and provide coffee and doughnuts and blankets to volunteers helping people get their water and get it to their vehicles.
Among other volunteers were Mitch Court of Sebring and his sons, Dustin, 16, and Aaron, 13.
Court, a 16-year Army veteran with four tours in Iraq and a member of the Sebring Wounded Warrior Project, said he and his sons were there to help everybody, but particularly the disabled and elderly.
“We’ll deliver the water to their homes if they can’t get out,” he said.
In addition, Court’s parents, Edward and Betty Householder, helped screen and sign people up for water. Betty is a member of Sebring Village Council.
The bottom line is, said Giroux, that not all the information is in.
“We know people want to know when the problem will be taken care of, and we should have a much fuller answer on Monday or Tuesday,” the village manager said.
He noted the village has spent or is in the process of spending between $7 million and $8 million to comply with OEPA mandates over the past two or three years.
“We have been very proactive and compliant with everything the OEPA has asked of us,” said Giroux.
“We are completely transparent and want to completely understand what’s happened and why. We received a notice of violation Friday based on seven houses out of 40 tested months and months ago ... meaning 33 samples were fine,” Giroux said.