We Found Elevated Levels of Lead in One of Our Samples
During routine testing we found elevated levels of lead in the drinking water at one of the 5 locations tested. The Town of Dutton may 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 lead 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 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 09/2022 and 08/2026 we collected 5 samples and analyzed them for lead. The results of more than 10 percent (one of the 5 homes tested) of our samples exceeded the action level for lead.
The Town of Dutton is focused on protecting the health of every household in our community; however, lead from service lines and lead plumbing and fixtures can dissolve or break off into water and end up at the faucet. We found that an old bathroom faucet is the potential source of lead in your drinking water. This does not mean that every property that receives drinking water from The Town of Dutton has lead in the drinking water. It does mean that you should understand how to reduce your exposure to lead 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 https://www.epa.gov/lead.
Health Effects of Lead
*Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney, or nervous system problems.*
Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Exposure to Lead in Your Water
Below are recommended actions that you may take, separately or in combination, if you are concerned about lead 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.
• Use your filter properly. Using a filter can reduce lead in drinking water. If you use a filter, it should be certified to remove lead. Read any directions provided with the filter to learn how to properly install, maintain, and use your cartridge and when to replace it. Using the cartridge after it has expired can make it less effective at removing lead. Do not run hot water through the filter. For more information on facts and advice on home water filtration systems, visit EPA’s website at https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/home-drinking-water-filtration-fact-sheet and EPA’s Consumer Tool for Identifying Drinking Water Filters Certified to Reduce Lead.
• 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.
• 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.
Alternate Sources of Water
At this time, we do not believe there to be a hazard to the entire community based off the facts that we have never before had a test in this system come back over the maximum contamination level, and that 3 of the 5 samples taken had no lead detected at all, 1 had trace amounts well below the MCL, with just one house that was high. That same house that tested high tested not detectable in 2022. The home owner reports that the only thing different from that test to this one was the faucet used to take the sample and the faucet used this time is super old.
For these reasons the Town of Dutton is not providing alternative sources of water. However, if you feel more comfortable, we recommend you decide based on that and not anything else.
The only recommendation we have currently concerning alternative sourced water is that it meets U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and any state bottled water safety standards.
If you are using filters, the EPA recommends that you ensure they are third-party certified to remove lead by referring to EPA’s Consumer Tool for Identifying POU Filters Certified to Remove Lead and reading the filter packaging.
Get Your Child Tested to Determine Lead Levels in His or Her Blood If You Have Reason To Suspect You May Have A Heightened Risk For Lead in Your Home Such As Old Copper Plumbing From The Lead Solder Erra or Faucets Made Pre-1986 When They Banned Lead In Plumbing Manufacturing.
A family doctor or pediatrician can perform a blood test for lead and provide information about the health effects of lead. State, city, or county departments of health can also provide information about how you can have your child's blood tested for lead. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that public health actions be initiated when the level of lead in a child’s blood is 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) or more. For more information and links to CDC’s website, please visit https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water.
What is Being Done?
The Town of Dutton is in in contact and working in close conjunction with the Department of Environmental Quality. We have always had a great working relationship with them and over the next weeks we will be testing and investigating further.
We are working with Mr. Matt Shmidt with MTDEQ to resolve this as quickly as possible to ensure our water is safe for everyone in our community. Mr. Shmidt said he would gladly answer any questions you may have if you would like to know more about the process or level of likely exposure risk. You may reach him at the MTDEQ public number 406-444-6652 and ask for Matt Shmidt.
For more information, please contact Jeremiah Kjensmo at the Town Office at 406-476-3311, stop in at 11 Main St. W at the firehall, or email us at townofdutton@duttonmt.gov. We will also be posting this notice along with updates on our website https://townofdutton.com/information.
General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk from lead in drinking water are available from EPA’s website 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 Town of Dutton,
State Public Water System (PWS) ID#: MT0000204
Date distributed: 8/26/2026