In light of recent concerns over lead in regional drinking water, the City of Redmond is stepping up its efforts to test the local water supply.
According to a city press release, Redmond’s water continues to be safe to drink as recent tests have shown the drinking water meets standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health.
“We are proud of the high-quality water provided to Redmond residents,” said Mayor John Marchione in the release. “We regularly test our water to ensure it not only meets but exceeds standards set for safe drinking water.”
Linda De Boldt, public works director for the city, said it is usually older homes and water service lines that are a cause for concern as prior to 1945, the industry would use lead components.
“After 1945, that practice changed,” she said.
The release states that the city has been proactively evaluating the potential for any concerns related to higher-than-normal lead levels in its service areas due to the City of Tacoma’s recent discovery of this issue in homes built between 1900 and 1945 using galvanized pipes.
De Boldt said most homes in Redmond are newer than 1945, but there are some older homes in town and the city is continuing to research where those homes are. She said most of the old buildings in downtown have been replaced with newer ones, but there are older areas that have been annexed such as the Rose Hill area that may have older homes.
The city is planning to review and perform additional samplings for any areas of the system with components in service and that are older than 1945, according to the release. The release continues, reading that the city does not have any lead pipe “goosenecks” like those identified in Tacoma as the likely source of increased lead levels.
Redmond residents receive water from Seattle and through aquifer supply wells and since 1983, the city has treated the well water to minimize corrosion of lead and other elements, the release states. The city has participated in lead and copper sampling, collected at a resident’s tap, since 1992. According to the release, the water quality results from these tests have successfully “met or exceeded the drinking water standards since that time.”
“We have not found any lead problems,” De Boldt said.
She added that these tests are performed annually and the most recent sampling event was in June 2015. This year’s testing will be this summer, she said.
When the city tests water quality, De Boldt said sample bottles are sent to the customer and they are asked to collect water from their taps in the morning — when the water has been sitting in the system overnight. The customer gives the bottles back to the city specialist, who sends the samples to a lab to be tested.
De Boldt said residents can also get their water tested themselves. The nearest accredited lab to Redmond is AmTest Laboratories, which is at 13600 N.E. 126th Pl. in Kirkland. The cost is $25. For more information, visit amtestlab.com.
For questions and more information, contact De Boldt at ledeboldt@redmond.gov or (425) 556-2733.
