4 SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Study fi nds Ridgewood area has lead in tap water
BY RYAN KELLEY
RKELLEY@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
TWITTER @R_KELLEY6
Ridgewood residents may want
to think twice before drinking
a glass of unfi ltered water from
the sink.
A new study revealed that the
neighborhood, along with Glendale
and Maspeth, has the highest levels of
lead in its tap water in all of Queens.
Based on water testing data from
2006 through 2016, the September
2018 study conducted by the New York
City Independent Budget Offi ce (IBO)
concluded that the neighborhoods in
Community District 5 had more than
6 percent of samples above the “action
level” set by the federal Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). No other
community district in the borough
had more than 5.5 percent of its tests
come back exceeding the action level.
According to the study, however, the
city Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) is not required to
take action unless 10 percent or more
of all samples taken citywide are
above the EPA limit.
“In a city the size of New York, this
means a substantial number of homes
and families may be exposed to lead
from their faucets,” the study notes.
It’s no coincidence that the study
also points out the buildings with the
highest risk for lead in the tap water
are older and smaller. The highest
rates of tap water testing above the
action level occurred in buildings
constructed in the 1920s and 1930s,
and much of the residential buildings
in Ridgewood’s historic districts were
constructed before or during that era.
The size of the buildings is signifi -
cant because the lead material limited
the pipe diameter to 2 inches, meaning
larger buildings needed wider service
lines that were produced with materials
other than lead. Therefore, “lower
density areas that are dominated
by smaller residential buildings are
Ridgewood
Property Owners
& Civic Association
General Membership Meeting
Thursday, October 4th at 7:00 pm
Ridgewood Presbyterian Church
59-14 70 Avenue
between Forest Ave and 60th Street
(entrance on ground floor Senior Citizen’s Center)
On the Agenda
Meet Deputy Inspector John Mastronardi, the Commanding
Officer of the 104th Precinct
who will update us on neighborhood conditions.
(depending on conditions that might require his presence, a
knowledgeable substitute will be sent.)
Catered sandwiches and salads from Franks Deli in Maspeth
will be served , courtesy of Kerzner Realty Inc.
Property owners in Ridgewood are always welcome to submit
a membership application, subject to RPOCA Board approval.
For information: Paul Kerzner
disproportionately affected, while
parts of the city with higher density
and newer residential construction
are largely spared,” the report states.
Lead piping was commonly used in
residential plumbing until its use was
prohibited in all new construction projects
in 1961. While lead service lines built
before then are still in use throughout
the city, local regulations require that
damaged lines must be replaced with
new, lead-free pipes. Yet, undamaged
lines are not required to be replaced,
and the DEP cannot force building
owners to replace lead pipes unless the
citywide EPA limit is exceeded.
Landlords are also not required to
notify potential new tenants of the
risk of lead contamination, nor inform
existing tenants of a water test that is
above the action level or if upcoming
work may disturb the building’s water
system. State law only requires that
new homebuyers must be informed
that the building has lead pipes, the
study points out.
While the study concludes that more
transparency for renters would greatly
benefi t the health of the public, it also
reiterates that the DEP is compliant
with federal lead regulations. The
citywide average lead levels have been
steadily declining for many years, and
the action level has only been exceeded
once since 2002, according to the report.
“NYC has the best tap water in the
nation — it is tested more than 600,000
times annually and is lead-free and
meets or exceeds all health and safety
regulations,” said a spokesperson for
the DEP.
The department also recommends
that property owners remove any
and all lead from internal plumbing,
and it offers free lead testing kits
to residents with any concerns. In
addition, everyone should run the
tap water for 30 seconds aft er it hasn’t
been used for a few hours to ensure
that any water that has been sitting in
internal plumbing is fl ushed out, the
spokesperson said.
Photo via Pixabay
UNICO helps troops at
special ‘cigar night’
Photo courtesy of Gaspare Mistretta
Members of Queensboro UNICO celebrated the organization’s fi ft h
Cigar Night on Sept. 19 at Giando on the Water in Brooklyn. More
than 200 guests attended the event, with all proceeds donated to
the Gary Sinise Foundation to assist with veteran relief eff orts. Frank Fabrico
and Gaspare Mistretta served as the respective chair and co-chair of the
event. Fabrico was honored for his outstanding service to the community
and UNICO for many years.
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