Elyria, Avon Lake each get $50,000 grants to ID, map lead water lines

Avon Lake and Elyria each will receive $50,000 from Ohio to identify and map underground lead pipes that could affect the safety of the communities' water supplies. Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday announced a total of $2.1 million in H2Ohio assistance grants to help 48 public water systems and communities identify and map lead pipes. Also in the region, the Erie County Public Water System received $15,561. Most water service lines are copper or galvanized iron, but an estimated 6.1 million lead water lines remain across the nation. Lead primarily enters drinking water when materials containing lead in water distribution systems and household plumbing corrode, according to DeWine's office. Lead-based paint and its dust are the most common sources of lead poisoning, but lead in drinking water can significantly increase a person's total lead exposure. While lead poisoning can affect individuals of all ages, children are at greatest risk, DeWine's office said. Children's bodies absorb lead more efficiently than adults, and they are less able than adults to detoxify their bodies of lead, DeWine's office said. "By helping local communities develop precise maps of lead line locations, we're another step closer to ridding the entire state of these toxic pipes," DeWine said. "Addressing lead service lines is not only a key goal under our H2Ohio water quality initiative, it is an important component to our commitment to the health and well-being of our communities."