Drinking Water Warning

Lead and Copper Action level Exceedance Notice

Sampling shows elevated lead and copper levels in some homes and/or buildings.

The City of Benson found elevated levels of lead and copper in drinking water in some homes/buildings with water service lines made of lead/galvanized steel materials. The City of Bensonmay also have tested your home or building. If they did, you should receive or may have already received these results. These results are specific to your home/building and may be different from the results taken in other locations. Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Please read this information closely to see what you can do to reduce lead in your drinking water.

What is an Action Level?

The action level is a measure of the effectiveness of the corrosion control treatment in water systems. The action level is not a standard for establishing a safe level of lead in a home. To check if corrosion control is working, EPA requires water systems to test for lead and copper at the tap in certain homes, including those with lead service lines. Systems compare sample results from homes to EPA’s action level of 0.015 mg/L (15 ppb). If 10 percent of the samples from these homes have water concentrations that are greater than the action level, then the system must perform actions such as public education, adjusting treatment, and lead service line replacement.

What Happened?

Between June 2026 and July 2026, we collected 20 samples and analyzed them for lead. The results of more than 10 percent of our samples exceeded the action level for lead and copper.

 

 

The City of Bensonis focused on protecting the health of every household in our community; however, lead or copper from service lines, plumbing, and fixtures can dissolve or break off into water and end up at the faucet.We found that lead service lines or lead in plumbing are potential sources of lead in your drinking water.

 

This does not mean that every property that receives drinking water from The City of Bensonhas lead or copper in the drinking water. It does mean that you should understand how to reduce your exposure to lead and copper through water. Keep in mind that drinking water is not the only potential source of lead exposure, since lead can be found in air, soil, and paint. For more information on all sources of lead, visit EPA Lead (https://www.epa.gov/lead).

 

Health Effects of Lead

*There is no safe level of lead in drinking water. Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups, especially pregnant people, infants (both formula-fed and breastfed), and young children. Some of the health effects to infants and children include decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can also result in new or worsened learning and behavior problems. The children of persons who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy may be at increased risk of these harmful health effects. Adults have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems. Contact your health care provider for more information about your risks.*

 

Health Effects of Copper

*Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney damage. People with Wilson's disease should consult their personal doctor.*

 

Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Exposure to Lead and Copper in Your Water

Below are recommended actions that you may take, separately or in combination, if you are concerned about lead or copper in your drinking water. The list also includes where you may find more information and is not intended to be a complete list or to imply that all actions equally reduce lead from drinking water.

▪          Purchase and use a certified lead filter to reduce lead from their drinking water, especially households with a child, pregnant woman, or individual with high blood pressure, or people residing in houses built before 1986. We also recommend making baby formula or cooking with filtered water.

▪          Look for filters that are tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for particulate reduction (Class I). Some filter options include a pour-through pitcher or faucet-mount systems. If the label does not specifically mention lead reduction, check the Performance Data Sheet included with the device. Be sure to maintain and replace the filter device in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions to protect water quality.

▪          Let the water run.The more time water has been sitting in your home’s pipes, the more lead it may contain. Before drinking, flush your home’s pipes by running the tap, taking a shower, doing laundry, or doing a load of dishes. The amount of time to run the water will depend on whether your home has a lead service line or not, as well as the length and diameter of the service line and the amount of plumbing in your home. Residents may contact us at (320) 843-4775 for recommendations about flushing times in their community.

▪          Use cold water. Do not use hot water from the tap for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula as lead dissolves more easily into hot water. Boiling water does not remove lead from water.

▪          Clean your aerator. Regularly remove and clean your faucet’s screen (also known as an aerator). Sediment, debris, and lead particles can collect in your aerator. If lead particles are caught in the aerator, lead can get into your water.

▪          Have your water tested. Contact us at (320) 843-4775 to have your water tested and to learn more about the lead levels in your drinking water.Contact a Minnesota Department of Health accredited laboratory(https://eldo.web.health.state.mn.us/public/accreditedlabs/labsearch.seam) to purchase a sample container and instructions on how to submit a sample. You can also contact your county or water utility to see if they have any programs to make testing your water easier.

▪          Treat your water or find an alternative source if a test shows your water has high levels of lead after you let the water run. You can learn more about water treatment options at Home Water Treatment (https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/factsheet/hometreatment.html).

 

What is Being Done?

The actions that we are taking are listed below.

 

In addition to the information mentioned above that we will provide to residents at locations we sampled, we will also be following up with additional public education to all our customers byNovember 30, 2026

 

The City of Benson balances water chemistry at the treatment plant to minimize pipe and plumbing components from corroding and leading to the possibility of lead dissolving into water. This process is known as corrosion control. We are completing an assessment of the corrosion control treatment currently used by our water system. This assessment will be completed by March 31^st 2027.

 

We will be removing the lead service lines as funding becomes available, which is a common source of lead in drinking water.

We also plan to take the following steps:

•We are conducting additional lead and/or water quality monitoring of our water system supply.

•We are increasing our lead monitoring to determine the extent of the situation.

 

Sources of Lead

Lead is a common metal found in the environment. Lead is rarely found in natural sources of water such as rivers and lakes or underground aquifers. Lead can get into drinking water after it leaves the treatment plant, as it passes through your service line and household plumbing system. The most common way for Minnesotans to come in contact with lead is through lead-based paint found in homes built before 1978. Visit Lead Poisoning Prevention: Common Sources (https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/lead/fs/common.html) to learn about how to reduce your contact with lead from sources other than your drinking water. Homes built before 1940 may have lead service lines or connectors that connect them to public water. Brass faucets, fittings, and valves, including those advertised as “lead-free”, may still contain 0.25% lead and contribute lead to drinking water. The amount of lead that gets into in drinking water depends on many factors, such as the amount of lead in plumbing materials, water chemistry, and water usage. Lead levels can vary over time depending on these factors and if they change, so even if lead was not present at one time exposure is still possible.

 

Information on Service Lines

Learn what your service line material is. To obtain a copy of the service line inventory contact us at 320-843-4775 or visit the Minnesota Lead Inventory Tracking Tool (LITT) to search for your service line material (https://maps.umn.edu/LSL/). If you disagree with your service line material classification, please contact us at 320-843-4775.

Learn about construction in your neighborhood. Contact us at 320-843-4775 to find out about any construction or maintenance work that could disturb your service line. Construction may cause more lead to be released from a lead service line if present.

 

Understand Blood Lead Testing

In Minnesota, elevated blood lead levels are most associated with lead exposure from lead paint and dust. Water is rarely the cause of elevated blood lead levels. If you have concerns about childhood lead exposure, check with your family doctor, pediatrician, or health care provider to determine if a blood test for lead is recommended. State, city, or county departments of health can also provide information about how you can have your child's blood tested for lead or more information about health effects of lead. Routine blood lead tests are covered by insurance and medical assistance programs as a preventative health care service. Contact your child’s primary health care provider to request a blood lead test. If your child does not have a primary health care provider or health insurance, there are several resources available. Visit Lead Information for Families (https://www.health.mn.gov/communities/environment/lead/families.html) for more information.

 

For more information, please contact City of Benson at 320-843-4775 or 1410 Kansas Ave Benson, MN.  General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk from lead in drinking water are available from EPA’s website EPA's Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water (https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water.)

*Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.*

 

This notice is being sent to you by the City of Benson. Public Water System Identification Number (PWSID #):