Latest District drinking water test results continue positive trend.

Washington - Over 80 percent of the Lead and Copper Rule compliance sampling for the period January to June 2005 is completed. These preliminary results continue to fall below the “90th percentile action level” of 15 parts per billion (ppb) of lead in the drinking water delivered to customers. However, the District’s drinking water continues to exceed the Lead and Copper Rule’s lead action level.

The results were announced today by the General Manager of the DC Water and Sewer Authority (DCWASA), Jerry N. Johnson, during a budget presentation before the District of Columbia Council Committee on Public Works and the Environment, chaired by Councilmember Carol Schwartz.

“This is a significant, measurable and continuing downward trend that we believe is largely attributable to the addition of orthophosphate to the District’s water by the Washington Aqueduct,” Johnson explained.

Since last August, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has added orthophosphate to the water it produces at the Washington Aqueduct, and supplies to DCWASA for distribution to its customers. Orthophosphate is used to help ensure that drinking water is less corrosive so that lead is less likely to leach from lead service lines and other household plumbing materials that contain lead.

It is important to remember that District of Columbia residents should continue to follow precautions, such as the flushing advice and the use of certified filtration systems as appropriate, noted Johnson.

Once a municipal water system exceeds the 15 ppb lead action level, compliance samples must remain below the action level at the 90th percentile for two consecutive 6-month periods to ensure that the system no longer exceeds the lead action level.

For more information on flushing advice visit our website or call the Lead Hotline at (202) 787-2732
http://www.dcwasa.com/lead/faq.cfm