Juvenile Detention Center Drinking Water Lead Source Investigation in Region 6
Citation:
Lytle, D., J. Fincher, J. Mistry, AND C. Carter. Juvenile Detention Center Drinking Water Lead Source Investigation in Region 6. Region 6 Small Systems Workshop, Dallas,TX, May 21 - 22, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
EPA’s 3T’s sampling program identified a 7.7µg/L of lead level at one location, a kitchen stand pipe nozzle. 3T’s: 250 mL first draw sample after stagnation. Based upon the result, the decision was made to identify the lead source and remove it from the sampling location. Location is next to a cook stove and is used to fill large pots.
Description:
A juvenile detention facility in EPA Region 6 performed EPA 3T’s sampling at drinking water taps in their juvenile detention center and found one sample, a kitchen stand pipe nozzle, contained 7.7µg/L of lead. After finding this sample, the decision was made to identify the lead source and remove it from the location. The facility’s next step was to take the stand pipe apart and clean the components in an industrial dishwasher with an anti-scalent. After cleaning, five 250mL sequential samples were taken, which found higher lead levels in all five samples. These results led to the replacement of all potential lead-containing components, including replacing brass backflow prevention valves with plastic alternatives. Another round of five sequential samples was performed which found one very high lead level in the first sample, whereas the next four were much lower. These sampling results suggested that the spray valve and nozzle appear to be the most likely lead source.