The Philadelphia Water Department is under constant scrutiny over how it tests for lead in the drinking water and has been under increasing pressure to change its testing methods because scientists have said that the tests currently being used may be underestimating the amount of lead found in water.
Some newly proposed bills introduced by city council members would require that landlords advise renters about lead piping that connects buildings to the water mains; they would also require schools and day-care centres to test water for lead contamination. Neither of these measures is currently required by federal or local law, and the new bills could push the city to the forefront when it comes to warning residents about the dangers of lead in water.
These bills may have been prompted by the recent publication of the findings of an investigation which found that 33 cities in 17 states east of the Mississippi river have been using testing methods that were thought to diminish the amount of lead detected in tests for the past decade and the subsequent class action lawsuit that was instituted against the city of Philadelphia.
Lead contamination has been a problem for decades in Philadelphia, and a recent surveillance by the Pennsylvania State Health Department revealed that in excess of 10% of the 35,800 children tested for lead exposure in Philadelphia had levels above five micrograms per one-tenth of a litre of blood. Lead contamination is especially dangerous for children as research has linked exposure to even tiny amounts with learning difficulties and behavioural disorders. Some research has even linked lead exposure in children with the likelihood of future criminal activities by those affected.
These new bills could be the start of landlords being required by law to inform tenants if their water travels through lead service lines, of which around 50,000 exist in the city. While the bills will not be passed within the next few days, it is hoped that they will be passed as soon as the legislative summer break is over.
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