Flint residents warned of lead levels above filter grade

Associated Press

FLINT, Mich.

Federal officials warned Flint residents Friday that water samples from more than two dozen locations have higher lead levels than can be treated by filters that have been widely distributed to deal with the city’s contamination crisis, underscoring the need for all residents to have their water tested.

Dr. Nicole Lurie of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the lead level in some Flint locations has exceeded 150 parts per billion, which is the level for which water filters are graded. In one case, it was in the thousands. She said people with levels over 150 ppb were being notified and their water being retested.

“We aren’t completely sure why” the readings are so high, Lurie said. “It could be the way the samples were collected. We’ll be doing more testing this whole weekend and early next week to figure out why and exactly what that means.”

Tests began in the last week of December, and 26 sites out of about 4,000 showed the higher levels. The water was tested by officials before it got to a filter, and Lurie stressed that the results do not mean officials think there’s a problem with the filters.