Duluth informs residents about lead-contaminated water and plans to help with the issue

Contaminated water can naturally cause health risks, and it is a concern in the city of Duluth right now. The city has a problem with it’s aging water system, and they have been working to address it.

Lead particles have been developing in Duluth’s city water has been an issue that city leaders have been working on for over 20 years. Another round of letters about the lead has been sent out to residents, informing them about this matter again.

Related Story: Lead Water Education and Lead Water Service Information

Duluth has about five thousand lead services practically owned by the residents and the city. A plan is in the works that the city has developed to start the cleaning process of the contaminated water.

“The city is embarking on a five-year project to replace as many lead services as possible. So, residents in the first target zone for that next summer are also getting letters at this time, asking us to let us inspect the lead service in their basement,” said Eric Shaffer, Chief Engineer of Utilities for the City of Duluth.

Shaffer says that something that can help with reducing lead in your water is letting your water run when you turn it on.

“The water that sits in your lead service overnight will pick up lead from sitting in the pipe all night long.”

He also mentions, “If you turn the water on in the morning and let it run for three or four minutes, then you flushed the water out of the service and into the sink, and you have got to lead out of the water. Especially if you are cooking and drinking water.”

If you got a letter sent to your home from the city, it states that they are giving out vouchers that you can fill out to receive a water filtration system.

Those vouchers can be picked up from city hall on the second floor in the engineering office Monday through Friday from 9:00 am-4:30 pm and be redeemable at Comfortsystems, located at 520 Garfield Ave on Monday-Friday from 8:30 am-4:00 p.m.