St. Clair Shores Reports Elevated Lead Levels In Drinking Water

ST. CLAIR SHORES, MI — Macomb County health officials said Thursday that the department is providing some St. Clair Shores residents with water filter kits and faucet and pitcher filters after water samples from the city's municipal water system showed lead levels in the drinking water exceeding state standards.

St. Clair Shores officials reported the elevated lead levels Wednesday. The county in a news release said the water testing occurred as part of routine compliance sampling required by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy under the state's Safe Drinking Water Act.

"The Macomb County Health Department is supporting the City of St. Clair Shores in the distribution of filters to qualifying families and by providing public education on ways to lower exposure to lead," Macomb County Health Director Andrew Cox said Thursday. "We recommend that households with a child or pregnant woman in this community use a certified lead filter to remove lead from their drinking water."

City officials said that in the fall of 2020 it collected samples from 62 sites with known lead service lines out of approximately 26,369 total water customers in the city. Of those sites, there were about 720 — or 2.7 percent — with lead service lines. Results showed that 8 of the 62 targeted sites tested exceeded the 15 ppb (parts per billion).

St. Clair Shores is working to replace the 720 lead service lines in the city, officials said, and have replaced about 100 through the end of 2020.

St. Clair Shores residents can receive the filter kits by reaching out to the St. Clair Shores lead safe hotline at (586) 447-3305 between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Lead enters drinking water primarily as a result of corrosion or wearing away of materials containing lead in the water distribution system and plumbing, officials said. These materials include lead-based solder used to join copper pipe, brass and chrome-plated brass faucets and fittings, and water service lines made of lead.

More common sources of lead exposure include lead-based paint chips, dust, soil and imported goods, officials added. Populations at the highest risk of lead poisoning include children under 6-years-old living in older homes or homes with lead paint, pregnant women, adults exposed to lead due to their occupation and refugees.