NEWS

Flint crisis leads to local concern

Spenser Hickey
Reporter

MARION - At Monday's Marion City Council meeting, At-large Councilman Josh Daniels raised concerns about the condition of local tap water, and he and other members voiced differing opinions on what should be done next.

Daniels called for spending up to $5,000 randomly testing water quality in 100 homes, saying that doing so would at least ensure confidence the water is safe to drink.

"We spend $5,000 on a copy machine," Daniels said. "We're looking to install this $5,000 — up to $5,000 — expenditure ... to build faith in the water supply or identify problems that may exist."

Coreona Jordan, 6, of Flint, is affected by lead, is photographed during Neighborhood Meetings at Foss Avenue Baptist Church on Saturday, February 6, 2016, in Flint.

Water in Marion, provided by Aqua Ohio, is tested at Alloway, a local facility that is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency and which would also be the testing center in Daniels' proposed plan. The difference is that the 100 houses he recommended would be different from those used in Aqua's testing, which Marion Operations Manager Scott Ballenger said started with 90 houses and then expanded.

Daniels' plan would include houses with plastic and lead service lines, while Ballenger said the houses they test include ones with known lead service lines.

Of the council members who spoke, Daniels — who runs a rental property business — voiced the strongest concern about potential issues. He said he's had tenants call him with dirty water samples and seen additional photos they took, and found "a greasy, Crisco-like white residue" in a boiler system that he said wasn't lead but was still a concern.

Because of that, he said, he and his three young children recently stopped drinking tap water because he's not confident in its quality. During the meeting, 6th Ward Councilman Dale Osborn and Marion Public Health Health Commissioner Tom Quade addressed that, saying they were still comfortable drinking the tap water and continue to do so.

Ballenger said that Aqua Ohio provides water quality information online, although the most recent annual report available there was for 2014 because of the time needed to compile 2015's report and publish it.

In 2014, Aqua's report listed 3.7 parts per billion of lead, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website says action is not needed unless lead levels exceed 15 parts per billion. The Aqua report also said the major source of lead was "corrosion of household plumbing."

Daniels and others also spoke about local water conditions in the context of crises elsewhere, with Flint, Michigan having received the most focus. In his Jan. 26 State of the City speech to the local Rotary Club, Mayor Scott Schertzer was asked about the Flint crisis and said it shouldn't have happened, but he declined to speculate further, saying the exact causes aren't relevant to Marion.

How water crisis in Flint, Mich., became federal state of emergency

Daniels said that lead-contaminated water "wasn't isolated" to Flint, but was also present in other communities, including Sebring.

"Based on what I've heard, I think it's a small price to pay for some confidence," he said.

Other council members were more hesitant to approve the expenditure, and the measure received its first reading with no action taken Monday.

Second Ward Councilman Ayers Ratliff said he wasn't sure it would be "the correct way" to start out testing water independently from Aqua Ohio.

"I think we would just be in the blind once something were to come back because we're not a water company," he said.

At-large Councilwoman Rebecca Gustin said that she didn't think they had decided to work independently but "it doesn't harm anybody to think it through."

At-large Councilman Kevin Norris said he wanted to hear more opinions from the people of Marion, and 1st Ward Councilman Ralph Cumston said if nothing else, the process would be invigorating and educating.

No action was taken Monday by the council.

shickey@marionstar.com

740-244-9940

Twitter: @SpenserHickey