Letters: Water testing free in Philly
The Philadelphia Water Department has been and continues to be fully in compliance with regulations to control lead and copper in drinking water, as determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection ("Time to get the lead out," Thursday). The Water Department will continue to work closely with the DEP to refine sampling protocols.
ISSUE | WATER QUALITY
Testing free in Philly
The Philadelphia Water Department has been and continues to be fully in compliance with regulations to control lead and copper in drinking water, as determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection ("Time to get the lead out," Thursday). The Water Department will continue to work closely with the DEP to refine sampling protocols.
The department has long offered free testing in homes for lead. Our consistent education and outreach - in public meetings, in brochures, on the internet, and on social media - have focused on the actions customers can take to ensure they are receiving clean and healthy drinking water from our mains.
When a home's water has gone unused for six hours, the quickest way to ensure lead-free water is to flush the plumbing by opening the cold-water faucet of the kitchen sink and running the water for at least three minutes.
For free lead sampling and information, call our hotline at 215-685-6300 or go to www.phila.gov/water/lead.
Debra McCarty, commissioner, Philadelphia Water Department, Philadelphia