The Department of Natural Resources requires Trenton to test lead levels in its water every six months.
City Administrator Ron Urton says this is because the city became aware in 2017 of a house that had high lead levels in its water. Trenton Municipal Utilities has to test 40 houses it believes has lead service lines.
TMU began treating city water with orthophosphate in November to coat the inside of lead lines to keep the lead from leaching out into the water. Urton says it is easier to treat the water as a community instead of individual residences and notes the last round of lead testing showed the treatment was working.
The city met the DNR requirements of 90% of the readings being below the action level of 15 parts per billion, however, Urton says TMU has to test again in October and has to have two consecutive test periods of readings below the action level. TMU wants to continue to test lead levels in the water annually to ensure the safety of the water for Trenton citizens.
Before the discovery of high lead levels in the water, Trenton was only required to test for the lead once every three years.
