City In Ohio Shuts Down Schools As State EPA Demands More Water Tests
City officials close down schools in an Ohio city as drinking water controversies arise following the recent water crisis issues in Flint, Michigan on Monday, in a report by CNN.
Sebring, Ohio schools were closed Monday and Tuesday as the state EPA planned to conduct additional water testings to ensure safe drinking water for residents.
Residents in Sebring were warned by the The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to avoid drinking tap water after samples were taken from homes and schools and has showed toxic lead levels around the town which is located 70 miles southeast of Cleveland, and has about 10,000 residents according to a U.S. Census Bureau.
In a statement by Heidi Griesmer, spokeswoman for the Ohio EPA, water tests showed lead levels at 21 tools per billion in some homes. He added that they have asked for assistance from the federal EPA's criminal investigation division.
The EPA requires the lead levels not to surpass 15 tools per billion. While health officials found lead levels amounting at about 27 tools per billion in Flint, according to Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN.
Progress seems to unfold as new water sampling results show only "three of 28 homes affected remain above the federal-mandated level for lead, according to the Ohio state EPA.
Although apparent improvement on quality of drinking water has been found, state officials still would not lift the drinking water advisory for children and pregnant women, not until two rounds of successful sampling is conducted consecutively within a six-month period.
Moreover, according to Ohio state EPA, they will provide $25,000 to the town for filtration systems following its order to the town of Sebring to continue water testing as well provide health screenings and filtration systems to homes found to have unsafe lead levels.
