State ramps up water testing in Centertown after lead found in sample

CENTERTOWN, Mo. (KMIZ) -

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources plans to test the drinking water of one village in Cole County after a significant amount of lead was found in one of several samples.

The state collected five water samples from the village of Centertown in September, and one stuck out. The amount of lead necessary to reach the "action level" is 15 micrograms per liter, according to a notice by DNR and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The one sample contained 38.2 micrograms per liter of lead.

For years, testing of water in Centertown has only found trace amounts of lead. Click here to access the DNR database of water sample testing.

Todd Eichholz with the DNR Public Drinking Water Branch said the state normally collects five samples from homes in Centertown every three years.

In order to follow-up on the lead-positive test, Eichholz said DNR will collect ten samples two separate times in 2020.

Even though the state is following up with more testing, there is no active advisory or warning for city residents. Eichholz said it's possible that the one sample is not a symptom of a large-scale problem.

"We feel like this is an outlier. Probably due to the fact that this sample had excessive stagnation, it sat in the tap too long before the sample was collected," Eichholz said.

Testing kits are distributed by the state and completed by city residents.

The chair of the Centertown Board of Trustees, Adam Brown, said it's possible the one positive sample was incorrectly completed.