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U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy inspects a bottle containing water from a Flint resident's faucet in this February 2016 Flint Journal file photo. on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016 at her home on Flint's south side.
(Flint Journal file photo)
FLINT, MI -- The state says more than 96 percent water samples tested at high-risk homes in the city in November were below the federal lead threshold of 15 parts per billion, the latest evidence of improvements in the system.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality announced the results in a news release Friday, Dec. 9, and said the sampling marks the sixth straight time water testing showed Flint in compliance with federal lead and copper regulations.
Last week, the state announced that the same November testing also showed 10 percent of 83 homes tested in Flint registered at or above 8 ppb of lead or less, the lowest such level of 2016.
By comparison, testing nine months ago showed 10 percent of homes registered at least 40 ppb or high of lead, almost three times the federal limit.
"This latest round of tests is a clear indication of the continued improvement in the Flint water system, and encouraging news for everyone working to help the people of Flint move forward," Gov. Rick Snyder said in the news release.
The improving water test results come just weeks before a planned meeting of water experts who have been asked by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to review data and discuss the current status of the Flint water system.
Representatives from the city, DEQ and third-party experts will be in attendance, the state alsdo said in its news release.
In addition to state testing showing improved water in Flint, the most recent water sampling by Virginia Tech university also showed what professor Marc Edwards called "amazing" improvement last month.
Virginia Tech testing showed just 6 percent of first-draw samples collected last month registered above the federal threshold for lead.
While testing has shown improved water quality, the DEQ says residents should continue to use faucet filters for drinking water "out of an abundance of caution while the lead service line replacement projects are underway."