KOKE‘E — Signs warning residents and visitors of the possibility of lead in the water at a pair of drinking fountains at Ka‘ana Picnic Area in Koke‘e State Park were removed last week — a year and a half after
KOKE‘E — Signs warning residents and visitors of the possibility of lead in the water at a pair of drinking fountains at Ka‘ana Picnic Area in Koke‘e State Park were removed last week — a year and a half after tests deemed the water to be safe for consumption.
Editor’s note: This is the sixth article in an ongoing series that examines water quality on Kaua‘i.
KOKE‘E — Signs warning residents and visitors of the possibility of lead in the water at a pair of drinking fountains at Ka‘ana Picnic Area in Koke‘e State Park were removed last week — a year and a half after tests deemed the water to be safe for consumption.
The only sign that was still readable cautioned people that the water “has been determined to have more than the federally mandated minimum safety level for lead.”
This is extremely misleading, said Kaua‘i resident Hector Ryzak, who snapped photos of the signs days before they were taken down.
The sign asked concerned citizens to call Wayne Souza of the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of State Parks with any questions. When Ryzak called he said he was notified of Souza’s retirement.
Inquiries were made with the DLNR on Wednesday. Officials removed the signs Thursday.
The signs should have been removed following a June 2008 sampling, DLNR spokesperson Deborah Ward said in an e-mail Friday.
“As part of routine water quality monitoring conducted for drinking water safety, samples taken in September 2007 at Koke‘e State Park showed elevated levels of lead,” she said. “Signs were posted to inform park users of the elevated levels of lead, the health effects of lead and steps that consumers may take to reduce their exposure to lead in drinking water.”
Some of the health effects of lead entering the human body are nerve disorders, reproductive problems and behavioral disorders in children, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site.
“DLNR’s Division of State Parks subsequently worked with the DOH Safe Drinking Water Branch to optimize corrosion control treatments to minimize the lead in the drinking water,” Ward said. “As a follow-up, subsequent tests in June and August of 2008 and August 2009 at various locations in the park demonstrated that the corrosion problem had been addressed.
“The drinking water currently meets all federal and state water quality standards,” Ward said.
State cutbacks recently led to the loss of one Safe Drinking Water staff position at the Kaua‘i District Health Office, according to state Department of Health spokesperson Janice Okubo.
Aged lead pipes can seep the toxic metal into drinking water. An EPA regulation created in 1991 states that levels must not exceed 15 parts per billion and if they do, action must be taken to “control corrosion,” according to the EPA.
It is an “antique water system,” but there is no danger, said Hui ‘O Laka Koke‘e Natural History Museum Executive Director Marsha Erickson, who resides in Koke‘e and has been drinking the water for years.
“Providing safe drinking water for residents and visitors of Kaua‘i is the primary mission of the Department of Water,” Department of Water Manager and Chief Engineer David Craddick said in an e-mail. “Tests are performed regularly to ensure that our water meets the standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Health, and water quality reports are mailed to our customers every year.”
In a recent New York Times article, the Environmental Working Group conducted an experiment comparing “legal limits established by the Safe Drinking Water Act” and “stricter health guidelines” of drinking water in various cities across America.
Sampling gathered from the Lihu‘e-Kapa‘a area indicated that over the past six years, three samples contained lead which exceeded health guidelines set at 0.20 parts per billion.
“When we receive reports of possible contamination, we run tests and make a determination based on the results,” Craddick said. “We recently tested the water in the Lihu‘e-Kapa‘a area and found trace amounts of lead that do not pose health risks.”
Lead cannot be seen, smelled or tasted in drinking water and boiling will not get rid of it, the EPA Web site states.
To reduce exposure, use only cold water for drinking or cooking and run each faucet before use. There are some faucet and pitcher filters that can remove lead, according to the EPA.
•Coco Zickos, business and environmental writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com.
