More Bad News For Some East Chicago Residents: Lead In The Water
(CBS) -- High lead levels in the soil. Now, in the water.
Resident in East Chicago can't seem to catch a break.
CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports.
Whether it comes from the shower or from the sink, in East Chicago the water could be contaminated with lead.
"I used to come over here and get a glass of water from the sink. Now I wonder what I have inside. I wonder if I have a lot of lead," Mauro Jimenez says.
He's among the estimated 400 residents living in the part of East Chicago where EPA officials had already determined there was lead in the soil. Now, the agency has found that 18 out of 43 homes it recently tested had lead in the water, and they are concerned there could be more.
"That is a huge, huge problem for the whole community," Jimenez says.
EPA officials insist the lead in the water is not connected to the lead in the soil. The problem with the water is how it's treated. EPA officials say East Chicago is in compliance with federal rules, but the recent tests indicate a need to make some changes to reduce the presence of lead.
The city's mayor says they're already on it.
"We proactively added a new ingredient to the treatment," Anthony Copeland says.
Because it could take months before the new treatment improves the quality of the water, the mayor says the city is looking at other ideas, too.
"We're going to look for solutions to offer and maybe assist them with matching funds for filters in the homes," Copeland says.