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Joshua Schimmel, executive director of the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission, is shown at the commission's administrative offices at Bondi's Island.
(Peter Goonan / The Republican)
SPRINGFIELD — An article published Thursday that lists Springfield as one of 33 U.S. cities that used water testing "cheats'' to conceal potential high lead readings was criticized as "an alarmist, misleading" story by the water system's executive director.
Joshua D. Schimmel, the executive director of the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission, said Springfield has a very safe water system, fed by a pristine reservoir, in response to the article that appeared online Thursday in The Guardian, a British national newspaper with a U.S. online edition.
The Guardian stated that its investigation found that at least 33 cities across 17 states have used water testing "'cheats' that potentially conceal dangerous levels." In addition, the article stated that 21 cities used "the same water testing methods that prompted criminal charges against three government employees in Flint over their role in one of the worst public health disasters in US history."
"I think that's alarmist and misleading absolutely for Springfield," Schimmel said."Springfield is nothing like Flint."
Flint, Michigan, has been mired in a public health crisis due in part to high lead levels in its drinking water supply.
He promised voluntary sampling of the city's water this year, even though it's not required to test again until 2018.
Under standard procedure, overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the commission has residents at 50 scattered locations in Springfield take and submit a sample of their water from their tap to be tested for lead and copper. The locations are selected by the commission and approved by the state.
The Guardian claimed Springfield was among communities that in tests for lead and copper had a testing system to remove aerators from faucets, have homeowners pre-flush their faucets, and instruct homeowners to slowly pour the water in tests, which The Guardian claimed was aimed at reducing the chance of higher lead readings.
Schimmel said the commission did miss a change in sampling instructions from MassDEP in 2006, in which it was supposed to stop a practice of having homeowners remove their aerators (screens) from their tap for taking the sample. It was an oversight, Schimmel said, adding he does not believe it should be of concern. He said he does not know how the change from MassDEP was missed.
Regarding the pre-flushing and instructions to slowly pour, those two steps were in line with MassDEP regulations until a change made three months ago, Schimmel said.
The commission will voluntarily conduct testing this year at 50 state-approved households in Springfield, Schimmel said. Such tests are gathered every three years, and were last done in 2015. Testing will be done again in 2018, after the interim voluntary testing this year, he said.
"We have nothing to hide," Schimmel said. "We don't think it made a difference in our sampling. There is nothing to gain by cheating. It's not even in our vocabulary."
Schimmel said that whereas some changes in Flint were driven to reduce costs, and was said to result in use of a different, less costly urban water system, the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission is financially stable, not cutting corners, and getting water from Cobble Mountain Reservoir surrounded by 1,500 acres of of clean, controlled watershed.
While Flint had lead service pipes, Springfield systematically removed all known lead piping and all were gone by 2005, Schimmel said.
Also, Springfield water is treated to inhibit the corrosion of home plumbing and pipes, whereas Flint had lead service lines, Schimmel said.
"The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission is committed to providing safe drinking water to our customers and we take this commitment very seriously," Schimmel said. "It is at the core of our mission to provide a high-quality water supply that meets and surpasses public health standards."