F Flint Water Crisis Public Archive

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Brad Wurfel Stephen Carmody

RE: FW: EPA Region 5 to Audit State of Michigan's Drinking Water Program

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DEO welcomes this announcement from EPA, and we've already signaled fo them that they can count on our full cooperation and transparency. We've appreciated the federal government's support on the stuation in Flint -- including its announcernent last week that the Lead and Copper rule speaks arnbiguousiy on the corrosion contral issue. Nobody wanis to see a situation like Flint, and we look forward in working with our federal partners going forward because we share the goal of making sure the Flint situation is nol repeated -- in Michigan, or anywhere else. b Brad Wurfel Communications Trector Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 12:36 PM

A request for comment

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Brad, The Virginia Tech folks are in Flint today. Lasked him about an ACLU charge that the previous DEQ tests of Flint water were "skewed" to show lower levels of lead. He agreed. I've attached an audio file of his response. Does the DEQ have any response to the allegation that the DEQ tests were "skewed"? Steve Carmody Michigan Radio xxxEND_PAGE:deq14_b0441_1664_1664_1

RE: drilling protest

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it's an interesting question, but {can’t really think of a way to offer apples-to-apples for the answer. Boil water advisorias happan around the state avery month for a variaty of causes. There are actually a fot more of than than ona might think, but they're meant to be seen as proof the monitoring system is effective and erring on the side of caution in protecting focal drinking water. Remernber a boll advisory doesn’t mean that the water is autornatically dangerous to cansurne — in those cases, the operator issums 4 ‘de not use’ order. Boil advisories mean a syste has elevated one of many potential risk factors (mast common being E. Coli beyond set {conservative} standards, so there’s a higher-than-rormmal risk level, Remernber that this world is about statistical probability and risk management. The testing and monitoring protocals are designed to offer an exceptionally high degree of confidence in water supplies. The water testing threshalds are designed to alart operators very early about the need to make systematic adjustments. Regular testing af rnunicipal drinking water systerns is done to keep a careful eye on drinking water supplies. Flint’s latest advisory only affected a portion of its distribution systarm. This was Flint’s secand advisory since switching their system in May. That's two more thar some communities, of course, but fim mot sure heavy much hay one could make out of it just yet. Does ft mean you're guaranteed to get sick if you drink water while it's uncer a boll advisory? No. it rneans the normal risk froma municipal drinking water is infinitesimally minute, and sornething was detected in the monitoring that elevated that risk,