FLINT — (CNN) In a press conference with the EPA and Department of Health and Human Services, they announced recent testing is showing encouraging results with the use of water filters.
EPA engineer Mark Durno said over the last week, the EPA has been collecting samples in response to concerns over lead levels higher than 150 ppb. Water filters that are NSF certified are certified for 150 ppb. Officials were concerned about how much lead was getting through the filters.
“Of the 10 results, eight of those situations, we have great news,” Durno said.
Durno announced the filters are removing lead. And in more encouraging news, the lead concentration in water appears to be going down.
“In the unfiltered water, we had samples from undetected to 480 ppb,” Durno said, referencing homes that just a week ago had lead levels higher than 150 ppb. “Right now, we don’t have enough data to explain why the overall numbers have dropped.”
Dr. Nicole Lurie, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said the good news on the filters doesn’t mean residents should stop getting their water tested.
“If your water has been tested and you’re told the water is safe, we believe that it is safe [with the use of filters],” Lurie said.
Lurie also stressed the importance of filter maintenance for water safety.
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