USCDWUA – lead found in their drinking water by Surface Creek

Timber Schuman
·2 min read

CEDAREDGE, Colo. (KREX) — Surface Creek runs from the Grand Mesa, all the way through Cedaredge and down towards Orchard City.

Both this stream and several of the lakes on the Grand Mesa give each town its water.

But one of the three main water companies, the Upper Surface Creek Domestic Water Users Association, just announced a problem.

Recently, they tested above the 15 parts per billion EPA action level for lead, scoring 38 parts per billion.

USCDWUA has acknowledged this problem and sent out a press release with a brief summary, as required by law, but the association official I spoke to refused to talk with me in an interview about the heightened lead levels.

So how do they plan to fix it?

On their website, they claim, “we are working with an engineer to submit treatment design plans to CDPHE and have treatment installed by May of 2024.

The CDC and the association’s own website warn led can affect the brain, kidney, and red blood cells in both children and adults. But pregnant women and children are especially at risk.

USCDWUA’s website recommends 9 tips to stay safe, including running your cold water every few hours and cleaning your faucets.

They warn that boiling water will not take out any of the lead.

From this page in USCDWUA’s article, they say, “when water is in contact with pipes or plumbing that contain lead for several hours, the lead may enter drinking water. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have plumbing containing lead.”

The P.H. of the water can also have an effect on how much it corrodes pipes and strips off potential lead.

The association also lists several past violations on their website dealing with high levels of haloacetic acids, scoring .117 milligrams per liter, when the limit they say is .060.

The latest release on high haloacetic acid levels was August 4th of this year.

If you live near Cedaredge or surrounding cities, it may be worth testing your water for lead and haloacetic acids to stay safe and if you have more questions, contact the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

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