Filters are effective at removing lead from Flint’s water, EPA says

FLINT, Mich. — Feb. 4, 2016 — Filters to remove lead from drinking water in Flint, Michigan, are proving effective, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said in a press release last week.

Releasing early sampling results, the agency said that lead-removal filters are working as expected in Flint homes with high lead levels. The EPA continues to recommend that Flint residents use NSF-certified filters in their homes.

To test the effectiveness of the filters, EPA officials visited homes where high levels of lead contamination were previously detected in sampling by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. At each home, the agency sampled raw water (without filter), water from resident’s existing filters (in-use), and water from brand new filters to determine the levels of lead in the water. Early results show that filters are effective at removing lead from the water.

The EPA issued tips for Flint residents to reduce their exposure to lead in the water supply:

• Use filters according to the instructions and replace filters before they expire.
• For vulnerable groups, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and children aged six years and under, the safest option is to use bottled water. Everyone else can cook and drink with filtered water.
• Residents should clean out their faucet aerators by unscrewing the aerator at the tip of the faucet, and removing any debris that has collected there. Until the system has recovered, the EPA recommends that Flint residents clean aerators once a week.

You can find the entire release here.