Widespread lead contamination in Flint, Michigan is prompting Kentucky officials to double check state procedures.
A state workgroup has been formed to assess Kentucky’s water system.Tom Fitzgerald with the Kentucky Resources Council will support the workgroup.
Fitzgerald says the most recent evaluation of Kentucky’s water systems shows no major problems.
“There’s no particular issue that I’m aware of that drove creation of the group,” said Fitzgerald.
Division Director Pete Goodman says a look at data over the last nine years revealed only a few problems. He says four public water systems that had elevated lead levels are now in compliance. Still, Goodmann says the review is warranted.
“Do we have the right protocols in place to manage corrosion control, to manage changes in source water, to manage changes in interconnections of source water, to manage changes in treatment? You can change the treatment at the plant and it changes your corrosion potential,” Goodmann explained.
Goodman says the decision by Flint officials to change the city’s water source isn’t that common. But, he says each water source is unique. For example, Goodman says water from Lake Cumberland is quite different than water from the Ohio River.
Goodman says the work group met by teleconference last week and is scheduled to meet every other week for about two months.
He says then recommendations will be made to the Division of Water.
