Edgemont fined by state over lead response

Rutland Herald

March 13, 2019

• By Keith Whitcomb Jr. Staff Writer

The Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced Tuesday that Edgemont Owners Association Inc., which owns Edgemont Condominiums, was fined $11,250.
According to DEC, in September 2015 levels of lead in the Edgemont Condominiums’ water supply were found to be higher than the federal level for which action is required. When this happens, certain steps have to be taken to protect users of the system as per Vermont law. According to DEC, “Edgemont failed to provide educational materials for water-supply users, install corrosion control treatment within the required time frame, check the lead content of the water entering the system or monitor for corrosion.”

DEC said in 2016 it provided the Edgemont Owners Association with two formal notices of the violations along with directives for getting the water system back into compliance with state law. In the spring of 2018, the Edgemont Owners Association accomplished this. It then agreed to pay the $11,250 fine, which was approved by Vermont Superior Court Environmental Division on March 4.
George Enczer, president of the Edgemont Owners Association, declined to comment for this story.
According to Ben Montross, compliance and support services section chief of the Drinking Water and Groundwater Protection Division of DEC, said Tuesday the standard for lead is that 90 percent of samples taken have to be at or below 0.015 mg/L. The samples taken from the Edgemont system on Sept. 24, 2015, were 0.016 mg/L.

“Lead samples are collected within a prescribed number of residences served by the system,” he said. “In this instance, the system collected five samples. Lead in the drinking water was the result of the water traveling through and residing in piping and plumbing parts that contain various amounts of lead. We are not aware of any lead piping in the system; the most likely source of lead is lead-containing solder, brass or other plumbing components, often within the individual residences.”
keith.whitcomb
@rutlandherald.com