Ohio EPA Releases Seventh Round of Voluntary Household Test Results from Sebring

Washington, D.C. – February 18, 2016 – (RealEstateRama) — Ohio EPA received another round of test results today from homeowners in the village of Sebring who asked to have their tap water tested and 84 of the 87 samples were below the federal allowable limit for lead. Ohio EPA ordered the village of Sebring on January 21 to offer free water testing for any homeowner who asked and will make those results public as they are received.

Combined with earlier voluntary test results received, 842 of 882 samples have been below the federal allowable level.

Ohio EPA continues to work closely with the village of Sebring and the U.S. EPA to fine tune the water chemistry to minimize lead from leaching into the water from piping of certain homeowners. Recent test results confirm that the village’s water plant is lead free.

Despite the fact that most results are below the federal allowable level, the village is still required to provide bottled water or filtration systems to homes where results are over the federal allowable level and work with the county to provide health screening for residents. In addition, the village must complete all immediate, short-term, and long-term actions required by the Ohio EPA Director. To minimize their lead exposure, all residents should follow guidance in public education documents provided by the village and, to flush out the lead, run their tap water for 30 seconds to two minutes before using it.

Ohio EPA will continue to release new results as they become available.

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The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1972 to consolidate efforts to protect and improve air quality, water quality and waste management in Ohio. Since then, air pollutants dropped by as much as 90 percent; large rivers meeting standards improved from 21 percent to 89 percent; and hundreds of polluting, open dumps were replaced with engineered landfills and an increased emphasis on waste reduction and recycling.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Heidi Griesmer