Amador County - The Jackson Water Department announced this week that recent water tests revealed results higher than the State approved limit for lead, posing a potential health concern for residents. During a “lead and copper test” conducted in August, three of the twenty sample results taken at as many locations throughout the city were higher than the approved limit of 15 parts per billion. The Jackson Water Department’s water quality is regulated by the California Department of Public Health, which requires the department to inform the public and conduct an “education campaign to inform its customers about the potential hazards of high levels of lead.” A department release assured that “lead seldom occurs in the raw water supply, but can be released from plumbing pipes and fixtures by the corrosiveness of the water.” The department said “there aren’t any known lead water mains or service lines that connect the water to the water meters, so generally this is more of an issue in older homes that may have used lead solder to connect pipes or in some older faucets.” Jackson’s water comes from the Mokelumne River. The City purchases treated water from the Amador Water Agency (AWA). August testing showed that 17 of the twenty homes where tests were conducted had lead detection levels of less than 3 parts per billion. The three levels above the limit were 29.0 ppb, 22.9 ppb and 16.1 ppb. The department said Jackson will be required to conduct more frequent testing to ensure lead levels continue to remain low. They will be working closely with the AWA to reduce water system corrosiveness. Copies of recent correspondence between the AWA and Public Health can be viewed on the City of Jackson website or are available at City Hall. For more information, please contact the City of Jackson at 223-1646. Story by Alex Lane This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it