Chicago Will Test For Lead In Tap Water

City spokesman says city will test tap water in homes where children report high lead levels in blood because of heightened attention, and to confirm that lead-based paint is most likely source of elevated levels in children.

In this Friday, March 25, 2016 photo, Director of Chemistry Ravi Swamy, of Aqua Pro-Tech Laboratories, uses inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy to test drinking water samples at the facility, in Fairfield, N.J. Responding to the crisis in Flint, Michigan, school officials across the country are testing for lead in the water flowing from classroom sinks and cafeteria faucets to reassure anxious parents or take action if they are surprised by the results.

The city of Chicago will once again test for lead in some city tap water.

A spokesman for the Chicago Department of Public Health says his department and the Department of Water Management will test for the brain-damaging chemical in homes where children reported elevated lead levels in their blood.

Spokesman Matt Smith says the two city agencies had a similar program in 2011, which ruled out water as a source of lead in the children.

“Due to heightened awareness, and to validate that lead-based paint is the most likely source of elevated lead levels in children, the two departments will be resuming this program as a proactive measure to protect the health and safety of Chicago’s children,” Smith said in an emailed statement

In February a group of residents sued the city over alleged lead problems in their water.

At the time, a spokesman for the Chicago Water Department said the city’s water is safe, “and exceeds federal, state and industry standards.”

A timeline for the resumed testing has not yet been set.