Lead mitigation
cited in skin rashes
State Sen. J. Kalani English has introduced resolutions in the state Legislature calling for federal officials to re-evaluate their safe drinking-water rules about lead.
English (D, Hana-East and Upcountry Maui-Molokai-Lanai) said yesterday that Upcountry Maui residents have been complaining about skin rashes and other irritations they believe are linked to a lead-reduction corrosive inhibitor in the drinking water.
Star-Bulletin Legislature Database
Star-Bulletin Legislature Guide
(PDF, 2.4 MB)
State Legislature: Bills
& Hawaii Revised Statutes
The corrosive inhibitor, phosphoric acid, was put into the Upcountry drinking water supply to coat water pipes and prevent the leaching of lead solder in residential plumbing.
County water officials replaced a previous inhibitor, zinc orthophosphate, in April 2003 after Upcountry residents complained about skin rashes and eye and throat irritation.
English said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should be looking at other solutions, rather than continuing to force state and local officials to use corrosive inhibitors that allegedly cause allergic reactions.
English said he hopes to send Senate Concurrent Resolution 185 and Senate Resolution 102 to the federal agency.
"The process to achieve safe standards has been difficult because of the inflexible nature of current EPA rules, and I am adamant that these federal deficiencies be corrected as soon as possible," English said.
"We're asking the EPA and federal government to consider these factors instead of forcing Hawaii to put in an additive just to say there is an additive."
English said one alternative is to have government workers reduce the lead in homes identified as having high lead content.
Officials estimate 500 of 11,000 homes in Upcountry Maui have higher than the acceptable levels of lead in drinking water, or 15 parts per billion. In August, the Upper Kula system failed with 41 parts per billion, county water spokeswoman Jackie Takakura said.
Dr. Lorrin Pang, the state health administrator on Maui, said prior tests indicated the homes most at risk were built between 1982 and 1988.
Pang said yesterday he's in the process of developing a blind test to determine if Upcountry residents are having allergic reactions as a result of the phosphoric acid in drinking water. He said the test should cost less than $50,000 and that some of the money will come from the $497,000 the county has been granted to reduce the lead content in homes.
Accumulations of lead in the body may cause a number of health problems, including miscarriages and birth defects.
According to the state, a 1997 study showed that 2.2 percent of young children living in central Maui had elevated levels of lead in their blood, while 6.7 percent of children the same age in the Upcountry area had high levels of lead.
