Get The Lead Out Coalition (GTLO) response to Milwaukee Water Works (MWW) and Coalition On Lead Emergency (COLE) July 24, 2023 community Town Hall.
Press release from GTLO dated July 31, 2023, posted by Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - According to the EPA: "The MCLG (maximum contaminant level goals) for lead is zero. EPA has set this level based on the best available science which shows there is no safe level of exposure to lead. The fact that there is no safe level of exposure underscores the fact that any action to reduce exposures can have impacts on lives and livelihoods."
On July 24, Milwaukee Water Works (MWW) and Coalition On Lead Emergency (COLE) hosted a community event to unveil a plan to remove antique lead laterals faster in our city. While we applaud efforts to speed up toxic lead lateral removal, as Milwaukee lags many other cities on this issue, we were underwhelmed by a plan that was light on details. We look forward to a robust, funded plan in the near future. Frankly this meeting left us with more questions than answers. Of note was MWW Superintendent Pauley and his Communications employee Brian Rothegerry's responses to questions raised about flushing pipes for 3 minutes as a safety measure.
"Our results have been that flushing for 3 minutes has in almost all instances returned a no detect and when there is a detect level it is very low and I want to say 2 off hand is the average. We have hundreds of data points, not thousands…so is flushing going to get to zero? Unlikely." said Patrick Pauley of MWW
Brian Rothegerry of MWW communications: "So the lead levels in most properties are at 2 or 3 or 4 parts per billion. The only time we find levels significantly higher than that is when we test the water at properties that are vacant."
The Get The Lead Out Coalition takes the EPAs MCLG goal seriously. "2 or 3 or 4 parts per billion" of toxic lead coming through our tap water is causing harm. A little bit of harm is not acceptable.
We demand that MWW release this data to the public and inform every resident here that their water on average may have "2 or 3 or 4 parts per billion" of toxic lead and that the EPA says NO LEAD IS SAFE even if we fall under minimal compliance with the EPA. As the city continues to develop a plan while other cities rapidly remove this toxic infrastructure, we demand our city leaders provide more filters to all residents relying on drinking water that on average has "2 oe 3 or 4 parts per billion" of this toxin that never leaves our bodies. It is not for city bureaucrats to decide how much of this toxin is safe for our families to drink.
Full Milwaukee Water Works July 24, 2023 public hearing video by Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) at Mitchell Street Public Library Branch at link: https://youtu.be/vT2t2MPROL8
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