EPA: East Chicago Residents Should Assume Lead Water Lines, Use Filter

Federal officials say all East Chicago residents should assume they have lead water lines and use a properly certified filter.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scientist Miguel Del Toral repeated the recommendation on Feb. 3 after initially making it last month while responding to questions from residents at an open house for the USS Lead Superfund site in the city’s Calumet neighborhood.

Officials say it’s possible up to 90 percent of homes in East Chicago have lead water lines.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports the EPA tested drinking water at more than 40 homes at the site. The agency found nearly 20 of the homes had lead levels above the action level of 15 parts per billion.

EPA officials say it views the sampling to represent the entire water system. No further testing is planned.