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Thursday, February 25th, 2016

MSDH issues warning to Jackson, MS water customers over lead water concerns

Author:     Mary Grace Eppes
Source:     WLBT-WDBD ( Jackson, Mississippi)
Publication Date:     Wednesday, February 24th 2016, 11:59 am PST
 Link: MSDH issues warning to Jackson, MS water customers over lead water concerns
Stephan:   There is a part of me that thinks it's very cool when one of my trend predictions plays out. It confirms my continued ability to do my job.   But that's only a part. In too many cases there is a much larger part that feels sad. So much of what is happening is neither compassionate nor life-affirming. Wellness hardly figures into the calculation. Watching your country come unraveled and having some sense of where it leads is not pleasant. In this case I am speaking of the deterioration of infrastructure, and the rise of lead in municipal water. Here is another horrible case. This one in the capitol of Mississippi is getting hardly any coverage in the national media. I think it will be but the first of a growing number of such stories If you live in a city whose infrastructure was built in the late 19th or early 20th centuries, or you live in an older house I think the prudent step is to have your water tested privately. It's not hard to find a reliable lab, and the test is not expensive -- the range is $15-80. The recommendations in this report should also be taken seriously. Lead poisoning is not a casual matter. And it is going to be a growing problem.

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI — The City of Jackson and the Mississippi State Health Department have issued a warning for residents, especially pregnant women and children, over lead found in water. (emphasis added)

Officials at the MSDH say that after consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency, is advising all residents who receive their drinking water from the City of Jackson Water System to take the following precautions:

  • Before using tap water for drinking or cooking, run your tap on cold for one to two minutes; for more detailed  information visit the CDC’s website;
  • Households should never use hot water for drinking or cooking;
  • Any child five years of age or younger and any pregnant woman should use filtered water or bottled water for drinking and cooking;
  • Baby formula should be “ready-to-feed” or prepared using only filtered water or bottled water; and
  • Parents with children six years or younger should contact their child’s pediatrician or primary care provider to ensure adequate lead screening and blood testing have been performed.

“Although the majority of home lead testing performed identified no lead, or lead below the action level of 15 ppb, we are issuing these recommendations as a special precaution for young children and pregnant women,” […]

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