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Lorie McFarlanei Ex. 6 Personal Privacy (PP) 7/19/2018 12:49:50 AM Stuhr, Michael [michael.stuhr@portlandoregon.gov] Jennings, Marie [/o=ExchangeLabs/ou=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/cn=Recipients/cn=ec4bd403el994b80976542bb9458ae72-Jennings, Marie]; Lee, Charles [/o=ExchangeLabs/ou=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/cn=Recipients/cn=bb6fl3c5a0ab453c8492636a72ffa3c2-Lee, Charles]; Tejada, M atthew [/o=ExchangeLabs/ou=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/cn=Recipients/cn=6559971c9dcd4c689ca6ec6b2a8cb0ee-Tejada, M atthew]; Beck, Nancy [/o=ExchangeLabs/ou=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/cn=Recipients/cn=168ecb5184ac44de95a913297f353745-Beck, Nancy]; Hughes, Hayley [/o=ExchangeLabs/ou=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/cn=Recipients/cn=d98153a3667544ce81b60dd0blecbd0d-Hughes, Hay] Re: Sewer & W ater repair and replacement work
Dear Director Mike Stuhr,
Water Commissioner Nick Fish's office responded to me on your behalf,below.
Todd omitted lead pigtails from his response. Lead pigtails are one major reason for potential lead spikes in customer drinking water. Also, Todd said no PWB studies had been conducted on potential health risk from physical/hydraulic line disturbances, but offers assurances of safe drinking water. How can he provide assurances when no studies have been conducted?
Finally, why does Todd assume complimentary water filters for expectant mothers would be paid by ratepayers, in light of the fact that corrosion control has not been adequate at minimizing lead for 20+ years? Your WQ engineers call this "partial" CCT , a deliberate choice in Portland's alternative "compliance approach" to the federal LCR. In fact, why wouldn't the Water Bureau reallocate* funds to pay for water filters since high water lead concentrations are still being delivered to thousands of unwitting water customer taps?
Pittsburgh - to name one city - has provided filters/bottled water for their most vulnerable. The Rand Corn, reports Pittsburgh is second to Portland for ELL's.
Sincerely, Lorie McFarlane *Reallocated from the Water Bureau's ample lead paint mitigation partnership funding, for instance.
On Wed, Jul 11, 2018 at 12:10 PM Lofgren, Todd <Todd.Lofgren@portlandoregon.gov> wrote: Lorie, Thank you for your email regarding your questions about lead in water in Portland.
On behalf of Commissioner Fish and the Portland Water Bureau, I want to assure you that as a public health agency, the Portland Water Bureau takes its responsibility to reduce exposure to lead for its customers seriously. We also want to make sure your questions are answered.
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In your email you express a concern regarding street construction and its potential impact on drinking water. The Water Bureau does not have any studies demonstrating an increased health risk for lead exposure due to street excavation work. In your e-mail, you referenced a study on lead released from galvanized service lines as your basis for concern. According to our staff at the Portland Water Bureau, lead from lead service lines can accumulate in the scale in galvanized plumbing. Fortunately, Portland has never used lead service lines and the main source of lead in home plumbing is from lead solder and home plumbing fixtures.
Therefore, the concern of lead release from galvanized plumbing due to construction disturbance is not likely to be an issue in Portland. While providing filters as a public health precaution during construction in cities with lead service lines may provide a benefit, the lack of lead service lines in Portland would make a similar effort an unnecessary use of ratepayer funds.
As for your other question, City Council authorized the Water Bureau to construct improved corrosion control treatment in August 2016. It's planned to be in place by April 2022, more than five years before filtration to remove Cryptosporidium is in place.
Until the improved corrosion control treatment is in place, the Water Bureau will continue to implement an Oregon Health Authority approved compliance plan to reduce and prevent lead exposure in Portland that began in the 1990s. The Bureau's plan takes a holistic approach to reducing lead exposure, including providing free lead-in-water testing and education to customers to help them understand their household plumbing, as well as active water age management and targeted flushing of the city's water system. The City of Portland has been and remains in continuous compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule.
Thank you again for your email. You can find more information at: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/water/lead.
Regards, Todd
Todd Lofgren
Senior Policy Director j Office of Commissioner Nick Fish (503) 823-3594 {portlandoregon.gov/fish
Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tier 12
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