Illinois Administrative Code › Title 35 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › Part 611 - PRIMARY DRINKING WATER STANDARDS › Subpart AG - INTERIM LEAD AND COPPER RULES › Section 611.1355 - Public Education and Supplemental Monitoring

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
A supplier exceeding the lead action level based on tap water
				  samples under Section
				  611.1356 must deliver the public
				  education materials subsection (a) requires under subsection (b). A supplier
				  exceeding the lead action level must sample the tap water of any customer
				  requesting sampling under subsection (c). A supplier must deliver a consumer
				  notice of lead tap water monitoring results to persons the supplier serves at
				  each site that the supplier tests, as subsection (d) specifies.
a) Content of Written Public Education
				Materials
1) Community Water Systems and
				Non-Transient Non-Community Water Systems. A CWS or NTNCWS supplier must
				include the following elements in printed materials (e.g., brochures and
				pamphlets) in the same order as listed in subsections (a)(1)(A) through
				(a)(1)(F). In addition, the supplier must use the verbatim language in
				subsections (a)(1)(A), (a)(1)(B), and (a)(1)(F), except for replacing the text
				in brackets with the system-specific information. Any additional information a
				supplier presents must be consistent with the information in subsections
				(a)(1)(A) through (a)(1)(F), and the supplier must present the additional
				information in plain language that the general public can understand. The
				supplier must submit all written public education materials to the Agency.
A) IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LEAD IN YOUR
				DRINKING WATER. [INSERT NAME OF SUPPLIER] found elevated levels of lead in
				drinking water in some homes/buildings. Lead can cause serious health problems,
				especially for pregnant women and young children. Please read this information
				closely to see what you can do to reduce lead in your drinking water.
B) Health Effects of Lead. Lead can cause
				serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water or
				other sources. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys and can interfere
				with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your
				body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and
				pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with
				lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can
				be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults. Lead is stored in
				the bones, and it can be released later in life. During pregnancy, the child
				receives lead from the mother's bones, which may affect brain
				development.
C) Sources of Lead
i) Explain what lead is.
ii) Explain possible sources of lead in
				drinking water and how lead enters drinking water. Include information on home
				and building plumbing materials and service lines that may contain
				lead.
iii) Discuss other important
				sources of lead exposure in addition to drinking water (e.g., paint).
BOARD NOTE: The supplier must use text providing the
				  information this subsection (a)(1)(C) describes.
D) Discuss the steps the consumer can take to
				reduce exposure to lead in drinking water.
i)
				Encourage running the water to flush out the lead.
ii) Explain concerns with using hot water
				from the tap and specifically caution against the use of hot water for
				preparing baby formula.
iii)
				Explain that boiling water does not reduce lead levels.
iv) Discuss other options consumers can take
				to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water, such as alternative sources or
				water treatment.
v) Suggest that
				parents have their child's blood tested for lead.
BOARD NOTE: The supplier must use text providing the
				  information this (a)(1)(D) describes.
E) Explain why there are elevated levels of
				lead in the supplier's drinking water (if known) and what the supplier is doing
				to reduce the lead levels in homes and buildings in this area.
BOARD NOTE: The supplier must use text providing the
				  information this (a)(1)(E) describes.
F) For more information, call us at [INSERT
				THE SUPPLIER'S NUMBER] [(IF APPLICABLE), or visit our Web site at [INSERT THE
				SUPPLIER'S WEB SITE HERE]]. For more information on reducing lead exposure
				around your home/building and the health effects of lead, visit USEPA's Web
				site at
www.epa.gov/lead
or contact your
				health care provider.