Map of Jackson Sites Where Lead Levels Exceeded Action Levels

Jackson sites where water samples exceeded action levels for lead.

On Jan. 28 Mississippi state health officials notified the City of Jackson that it had found lead in 22.4 percent of the 58 Jackson homes it sampled in July 2015. Health officials are testing the water at another 100 homes for high lead levels, she said.

Mayor Tony Yarber’s office said through a Feb. 3 news release that preliminary resampling results “show no detection levels of lead in six of the locations. Five locations show markedly lower levels. Of those five, two locations still exceed the actionable level by 1 ppb. As for the last two of the original 13 locations, one property is now vacant and the other was found to be using water from a private well.”

The city will also identify funding to upgrade corrosion control measures and increased monitoring in the distribution system.

The release also states: “The City is in compliance with state and federal regulations and is continuing to monitor its water system as required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The water is safe for cooking and drinking. As an extra precaution, it is recommended that homeowners flush the cold water faucet for one minute and not use water from the hot water tap for drinking or cooking.”