Hamlet’s drinking water is now in compliance with Indiana Department of Environmental Management regulations. The town has been required to conduct additional water testing since it failed lead and copper tests in 2014.
Hamlet Water and Wastewater Operator Henry Ruiz says that many of the 20 homes tested this year reported good lead and copper numbers. “There were some that were high. Most of them were pretty low,” he told the town council Wednesday. “A couple had none at all, so that was good to see.”
Ruiz says the town’s water has now passed the tests for two years in a row. That means IDEM will allow the town to return to its normal testing schedule. “We’re in the clear there because if we didn’t pass, we would’ve ended up having to do additional water treatment to keep the lead from coming up,” he said. “It was mostly lead.”
Council President Dave Kesvormas pointed out that the problem was not necessarily with the town’s water supply, but with interior plumbing in some older homes. “So it’s always a smarter move for people that have an older home and don’t know if they’ve got newer water, let the water run,” he added.
As part of the testing process, the town collects water from a list of houses selected by IDEM.
