LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — 12,000 letters had been despatched out to properties round Jackson with the topic line “Notification that your water service line material is unknown and may contain lead,” resulting in confusion and concern across the metropolis.
Metropolis officers say that in case you obtained this letter, there’s a excessive probability your own home has a lead line. These letters are a part of a brand new statewide effort to let individuals know the place their water comes from, however metropolis officers do admit the wording is complicated.
“We know which ones we’ve replaced through replacements and we have very good records about what the other materials are,” stated Aaron Dimick, metropolis spokesman.
So, why did the letters say “unknown material?”
State laws say {that a} metropolis legally cannot affirm a home has a lead line till a crew checks, however the metropolis solely despatched letters to homes the place they suspected an issue.
“Because their service line is most likely made out of lead,” stated Dimick. “We had to send them lead safety info.”
The town says individuals with confirmed lead strains have already been notified about the issue, together with by way of a water report that was mailed out this summer season.
Nonetheless, the residents 6 Information spoke to had been caught off guard.
“This is the first we’ve seen of these letters since I’ve been here – five years,” says Robert Smith, a Jackson home-owner.
Josh Blake, a more moderen resident of the realm, says he moved on this spring and spent lots of time changing the pipes to make it secure for everybody, together with the children. He known as the town concerning the letter however did not get lots of info.
“I asked if it was just the piping in my home,” says Blake. “Or if it was their supply lines and they said that I should be good, but there was no guarantee.”
Now, uncertainty has became worry.
“Seeing what happened in Flint 10 years ago with their water. Ever since then, I’ve just been using bottled water,” stated Smith.
“So it means that I’m not gonna give my kid any water from the faucet until I have more of a definitive answer,” says Blake.”
Jackson officers say it might take 30 years to repair the issue.
“By that point, I won’t even be in the city ’cause 30 years is the time of a mortgage,” says Blake.
“People probably gonna be dead and gone by then,” says Smith. “That could affect our children’s health, you know, more so than our health, then they need to get this done because our children are our future.”
