The purpose of this article is to provide you with information of the quality of the drinking water produced by the city of Benton Harbor Water Treatment Plant.This information is a snap shot of the quality of the water., that that city of Benton Harbor has provided contaminated water to the resident of Benton Harbor for years.
Let explain where your water come from. Your water come from Lake Michigan an excellent raw water source. Lake Michigan water flows through an intake structure and pipeline off shores to a shore well pump station where the water is screened to remove the largest particles , but the smaller one's remain.Pumps at the shores well station transfer the untreated raw water to the treatment plant. At the treatment plant the raw water is filtered through membrane micro filtration units and sodium hypochlorite , which contains chlorine, is applied for disinfection. Fluoride is also added for protection. After filtration, the treated water enters the storage reservoir after which another set of pumps transmits the finished tap water through the distribution system and system and to the community.
The present elevated level of lead in the water of the Benton Harbor resident is a serious health problem especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and pluming at home and the plant. Our children is our future. We must protect the senior citizens also from lead in water.
Lead can enter drinking water when , solders, or fixtures containing lead corrode releasing the lead in the water. The most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and fixture with lead solders, from which significant amount of lead can enter into the water, especially hot water. Lead can also come from the pipes at the water treatment plant. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have pipes plumbing fixtures and solders containing lead. We must monitor the water in Benton Harbor. We must test the water on a regular basis and educated the public about the danger of lead and other contaminant that may be present in our source of water. We must confront and keep testing the water until it is safe to drink and bath in.