The White Falcon - 12.03.1999, Side 1

White Falcon
Vol. 58 No. 10 March 12, 1999
Base responds to elevated
lead levels in water system
Get outta my way! ... Base residents
make a mad dash for warmth from the cold
waters of NAVFAC beach, following their
induction into the “Polar Bear Club” last
weekend. Approximately 70 people partici-
pated in the KCPOA-sponsored event.
(Photo by J03 Mike C. Jones)
Navy, Air Force
begin fund drives
by J03 Mike C. Jones
If you see several familiar faces out washing the
base P-3 today, or your supervisor paying off NAS
Security to avoid an arrest, just think Navy/Marine
Corps Relief and Air Force Aid Fund Drives.
The annual fund drives give base residents an
opportunity to participate in controlled chaos while
achieving the drives’ goal: supporting Sailors,
Airmen and Marines in time of need. The base
raised over $26,000 during last year’s drive, an
amount coordinator’s hope to surpass this year.
“We’re looking to make 100-percent contact
with everybody,” said fund drive co-coordinator
ASC Leonard Lampp.
To help reach that goal, each unit on base has
designated key persons, he added.
“Every command has a key person assigned to it
and that person will be coming around with allot-
ment forms for everyone on active duty. We’re not
saying to people, ‘You have to donate,’ we’re just
ensuring that every person has the opportunity of
donating.”
To avoid direct competition, the Navy/Marine
Corps Fund Drive has merged with the Air Force
Aid Fund Drive this year - a first for NAS
Keflavfk.
“We’re doing everything hand-in-hand,” Lampp
See Fund Drives on Page two
By J02 Christopher E. flicker
On March 3, NAS Keflavfk received
routine tap water test results for the 1100
housing series. Seven of the 14 units test-
ed were found to have levels of lead
beyond the control levels established by
the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act.
Cmdr. Svend Pedersen, NAS Keflavfk
Executive Officer, immediately took pre-
cautionary steps to prevent further water
consumption, and to ensure that residents
received all the facts about the situation.
Those residents were immediately noti-
fied their water was “non-potable,” mean-
ing the water could not be used for drink-
ing or cooking. Arrangements with the
commissary were made to begin deliver-
ing bottled water to the affected homes,
and families in these units were notified
that three “town meetings” would present
the facts and answer any questions about
the situation.
The water system at NAS Keflavfk is
checked for lead and copper twice a year
in accordance with the U.S. Safe Drinking
Water Act. The tests from the units in the
1100 housing series were done in January
and sent to Universal Laboratories in
Hampton, Va.
To make sure the tests accurately
reflected the lead levels in the water , NAS
Public Works conducted another test on all
the affected units. Three samples were
taken from each home - the first sample
was taken after flushing the water for 10
minutes then securing the water for six to
eight hours, another after waiting 30 sec-
onds, and the last sample was taken after
letting the water sit for five minutes.
Those tests were sent to Universal
Laboratories last week and the results are
expected to be returned by March 19.
The Environmental Protection Agency
and the Safe Drinking Water Act set the
limit for lead in water at 15 parts per bil-
lion. Of the seven affected units, the high-
est lead levels were in building 1110 at
5,466 parts per billion, and the lowest was
building 1112 at 513 parts per billion.
“We will not return the water to a
potable status until we are sure we know
the source of the problem and the water is
safe,” said Pedersen. “That’s the bottom
line of all of our efforts - the safety of our
residents.”
Johanna Turner, NAS Keflavfk deputy
environmental officer, said the base has
plans to install a zinc ortho phosphate
water treatment system, which will coat
the inside of the pipes and prevent any
metals from further leaching into the sys-
tem. She said this system should be in
place by May.
The Naval Hospital responded to the sit-
uation by offering blood lead tests to resi-
dents of the affected homes. At the time
this article was written, the hospital had
tested 143 people for blood lead. The hos-
pital expects to get the results of those tests
in two to four weeks.
“There is no established correlation
between lead in drinking water and elevat-
ed blood lead. The most dangerous source
of lead for people is lead paint and lead
dust,” said Capt. Carl Hooten, Naval
Hospital commanding officer. Although
research data isn’t available about what
can happen to people who consume lead in
drinking water, Hooten said the base was
taking preventative measures to prevent
people from further exposure.
Hooten added that blood lead tests
aren’t limited to the residents of the 1100
series; all service members and their fami-
lies can make an appointment with their
service provider to have their blood
checked.
Turner said that lead in the water system
is not a base-wide problem, it is isolated to
the seven 1100 series housing units.
However, she emphasized that water flush-
ing is something that all base residents
should practice.
“People need to flush their water,”
Turner said. “They need to keep their cold
water running as much as possible and not
cook or drink with the hot water. That’s an
important message for everyone.”
“Our number one goal is to provide a
safe environment the safe residents,”
Pedersen emphasized. “We will not sugar-
coat any of the information we have. We
will give it to the residents - it’s what they
expect and deserve.”
Serving the joint-service community since 1941