The drinking water crisis in Flint, Mich., has hit close to home.

Last week’s investigative story in the USA Today newspaper was an eye-opener for how lead pipes are creating toxic conditions in schools, day cares, trailer parks and even private homes – including ones in Maine. We’ve heard warnings regarding lead paint, which has now been banned but was prevalent up until the 1970s, as a major source of lead poisoning, especially in children. But the issue of toxic lead pipes has been left mostly unexamined by the media until the issue arose in Flint.

The USA Today article, which probed federal reports required of public water systems, found that Flint is far from the only troubled system in the country. In fact, the story made public how the Environmental Protection Agency found 373 systems failed repeatedly from 2012-2015. Churches, day cares and trailer parks in Maine – 26 in total – were included in the report, including two in Standish. So the issue is a local one, and one we need to take seriously, since lead is a cause of numerous health issues, especially for children.

The data presented by USA Today is really just the tip of the iceberg. Federal law requires that child-care facilities and schools that are on their own private water systems (wells, for the most part) must test their water regularly, but those on municipal water systems are exempt from testing. This leaves out a sizeable chunk of lead-leaching systems, since many old buildings with a connection to a public water system may still have lead pipes delivering that water to faucets and fountains.

This is not just an issue for public buildings. Older homes, which are abundant in Maine, are another obvious concern. Do you know if your home has lead pipes? Many people can’t answer that question.

The Flint situation, coupled with USA Today’s follow-up probe, should serve as an alert to the health danger lead poses. According to the Maine State Housing website, ingesting lead can have the following health impacts: “In adults, symptoms include difficulties in pregnancy and other reproductive problems, high blood pressure, digestive and nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, as well as joint and muscle pain. In children, the effects of lead are even more dangerous. They include damage to the brain and nervous system, behavior and learning disabilities, developmental delays, slow growth, as well as hearing problems and headaches.”

So what should you do if you think you have faulty pipes? The Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s website is an excellent source for those wondering about lead and how to test and mitigate risks. Check it out at www.maine.gov/dep/waste/lead.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention website is also a good source. There you can find a link to a water testing guide that details how to submit a water sample to the state for testing. Go to the Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory’s website at www.state.me.us/dhs/etl or call 287-1716 for more information.

If you do identify issues in your home, there are corrosion control plans that can remedy the problem. Complete removal of lead pipes would be a good place to start, but if that’s an unaffordable option, there are other solutions. A listing of qualified lead-abatement professionals also can be found at www.maine.gov/dep/waste/lead.

Flint was surely the spark this country needed to get a handle on its issues with lead. Rather than burying our heads like Flint’s politicians, we should take action to determine what our exposure risks are, and make sure our local leaders are doing the same with our public buildings.

-John Balentine, managing editor

@john_balentine