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Flaws in lead testing procedures for drinking water

Although the public water supplies in Buffalo and surrounding areas are not facing the same problems as Flint, lead poses a risk here because of our old infrastructure and housing stock.

BUFFALO, NY-- The crisis in Flint, Michigan has put a spotlight on the risks of lead in drinking water.

Although the public water supplies in Buffalo and surrounding areas are not facing the same problems as Flint, lead poses a risk here because of our old infrastructure and housing stock.

Experts I have interviewed say that as long as water is distributed to homes through lead service lines, there is always a risk of lead leaching into your tap water

Days after my story “Looking for lead (in all the wrong places)” in August 2016, I got calls from concerned Buffalo residents who wanted to know how they could get their water tested.

Marc Edwards, the civil engineering professor at Virginia Tech University who is credited with helping uncover the crisis in Flint, sent me testing kits for city residents.

I distributed 22 kits and the results expose flaws in the way most water providers test for lead in tap water and advise families on how to mitigate the risks.

For more on this story, head to Investigative Post's website.

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