Bloomington residents with municipal water lines may request free lead water testing, if they are concerned.
Justin Meschter, water quality coordinator at city utilities, said such testing will begin the second or third week of July.
“We're hopeful to start collecting samples in the next two to three weeks from our residents for testing,” Meschter said.
The city will be using an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopy-laboratory instrument to test and analyze the elements composition of water samples. Officials are now testing the accuracy of the ICP machine using some water samples at the lab at Dillman Road and cross-checking those results with verified lab test results.
“We're going to have certified results and then be able to compare those to the results from the ICP at our lab here to make sure that they match up before we start our widespread sampling,” he added.
More than 430 residents already have requested free lead water tests.
Why are some residents concerned?
Across the country, cities are trying to identify the status of their water service lines after the EPA updated its rule in October 2024 to say that each system has to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years.
Meschter says many unknown service lines may not have lead exposure.
After getting notification last fall, customers started requesting water testing. The city offered free tests for anyone with a lead service line or a line with unknown status. “If they want to have it tested for lead, they can email us at or they can just call us here at the utilities, and we'll get them put on our list here,” he said.
But lead water testing can't be used as a means of service identification. It's only a temporary measure for customers to find safe options if their water has lead.
Expert says there are precautions
Lead is harmful to health, especially for children, old adults and people with pre-existing conditions. According to the EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no known safe level of lead in child's blood.
Water could be one source of lead exposure for children and families, but it’s not the only one. But experts say the risk of lead contaminated water can be minimized by simple precautions.
Michelle Del Rio, who researches the impact of lead exposure at Indiana University, said municipal water from pipes treated with anti-corrosives is safe to drink. Also, flushing tap water for 30 seconds in the morning minimizes the possible risk. “And after that, you have reduced the amount of lead that can accumulate in the pipes, and could end up in your glass of water,” Del Rio said.
If someone lives in an old house or the water supply is from a private well, they need to take extra care, she said.
She recommended an under-the-sink filter or on-the-tap filter that is approved to remove lead.
Bloomington municipal service uses anti-corrosive treatment in its water system.
Even if there are ways to limit lead exposure, experts always advise taking precautions. Research shows that even low levels of exposure may cause lifelong health complications.
