Drinking water in seven out of 71 Georgetown University townhouses contains levels of lead above Environmental Protection Agency limits, according to tests conducted by university officials in recent weeks.
The residents of the seven affected townhouses have been notified, and new filters have been installed in their homes, a sign that the recent controversy surrounding hazardous lead levels in the D.C. metropolitan area has landed squarely on Georgetown students’ doorsteps.
Georgetown administrators stressed that the danger to students, even those living in the seven townhouses, was minimal.
The results from tests throughout the main campus released two weeks ago indicated that all supplies of drinking water in those areas were safe.
A statement issued by the university called the townhouses’ elevated lead levels “a manageable problem [that] should not cause undo alarm,” and said officials were continuing tests and maintaining contact between residents and administrators.
Safety officials also scheduled a meeting with residents on arch 24 but no students attended.
“I feel very confident the problem has been nailed down,” said Phil Hagan, director of safety and environmental management. “Our testing indicates that things are looking pretty good for us.”
Hagan also said that the water supply had been tested multiple times in each townhouse, once immediately after the faucet was turned on and twice after the faucet had been allowed to run for certain amounts of time. The later two samples from all the townhouses had tested below EPA lead limits, Hagan said, and the timing of the tests, during spring break when many townhouse residents were away, could have resulted in elevated lead levels because the faucets had not been used recently.
The university has recommended that townhouse residents flush their faucets for five minutes before drinking water, in order to clear pipes of any standing water that may contain unhealthy amounts of lead.
Georgetown officials are also performing maintenance checks in townhouses to determine whether new pipes or faucets are needed.
Dr. James Welsh, assistant vice president for student health, indicated that the lead probably did not pose a danger to residents, saying that lead poisoning in adults is “very unlikely.”
“There is no significant health risk at all to adults,” Welsh said, pointing out that children and pregnant or nursing women were at greater risk from high amounts of lead, and that lead poisoning usually occurs only in individuals exposed to levels of lead “many, many times” the levels seen in the townhouses.
Two pregnant students are living in university townhouses, but their water contained the lowest amount of lead measurable, according to Hagan.
The EPA mandates that any lead levels above 15 parts per billion require an immediate government response.
D.C. Water and Sewer Authority officials found dozens of sites last year within five blocks of Georgetown’s main campus with lead levels above the EPA limit, including nine locations with levels above 300 parts per billion, although the information was not made public until earlier this year.
None of the townhouse tests resulted in lead levels far in excess of 15 parts per billion, Hagan said.
J.B. Ryan (COL ’04) said he was surprised when he received an e-mail from university officials saying his townhouse’s drinking water had tested positive for lead in excess of EPA limits.
“It was unsettling,” he said, “but luckily me and my roommates don’t drink the tap water. I just try to keep my mouth shut while taking a shower.”
Ryan said he was skeptical that university officials were “just trying to cover themselves” with recent tests, but added that the administration’s response was “within a good time frame.”
“They’re doing everything they can,” he said. “I don’t think they’re neglecting the issue at all.”
Ryan said he was concerned, however, about the effectiveness of the new university-bought water filter on his kitchen sink. “That’s why I’m not sure it works,” he said, gesturing toward the small, rotund filter on the faucet head. “It’s just a generic G.E. filter. What stinks is there’s no pressure.”
Kristen Farren (MSB ’04), a townhouse resident whose water tested below EPA limits, said she was pleased with Georgetown safety officials’ response to the situation.
“I’m not really all that concerned,” Farren said, remarking that she and her roommates use a Brita filter.
“I think it’s pretty impressive that they went out and tested the water just to make sure everything is OK . If this is a problem it’s their responsibility to do everything they can to make sure [the water] is healthy for all students,” she continued.
Georgetown administrators began planning a response to widespread lead contamination in the District’s water system shortly after The Washington Post exposed the problem in late January.
The university has offered to pay for blood tests for residents in the seven affected townhouses to detect any unhealthy levels of lead, although Welsh said there was “no necessity” to have the tests done. As of last week, no students had requested the procedure.
Ryan tried to find humor in the situation. “I was surprised, but living in a townhouse, nothing’s unexpected,” he said. “These aren’t the greatest homes. You deal, you know what I mean?”