The Buffalo Water Board is defending the city's water quality after an investigative report accused the city of putting out misleading information about lead levels in its water. Time Warner Cable News reporter LaMonica Peters has the details.
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Two years after the water crisis began in Flint, Mich., scientists have said Flint's water has improved greatly in the last few months. Residents in Flint can now use the water to shower and bathe.
While that's good news for Flint, a new investigative report conducted by The Guardian said over the last decade, 33 U.S. cities - including Buffalo - have violated EPA guidelines to conceal just how much lead is in their water systems.
"I have no proof that what the article says is true. Of course the Common Council does not monitor the water or its testing. That's a different authority. However, it would be of great concern to me, and I'm sure the entire Common Council, if what is in the article is actually true," said Darius Pridgen, Buffalo Common Council president.
Other cities cited in the report included Albany, Boston and Philadelphia. Buffalo Water released this statement in response to the report.
"Buffalo Water has been in compliance with the lead and copper rule since the inception of the program in the 1990s. We believe our drinking water is extremely safe. The source is non-corrosive, and we have additional protections in place that include a corrosion inhibitor. We continue to meet the Health Department standards for our lead and copper testing. As always, if you are concerned about elevated levels of lead in your home’s plumbing, please contact the cty’s 311 call and resolution center to have your water tested by Buffalo Water."
One of the tactics mentioned by the report that was used to avoid high levels of lead detection is pre-flushing, or running faucets to clear out water pipes before testing. Pridgen said he'd be surprised if this happened in Buffalo, but he won't turn a blind eye to the investigation.
"Now we're not scientists, but our intention at this point is to file the article with the Common Council and to ask for a response from our water authority here that actually regulates it."