DULUTH — A new interactive map details whether homes connected to public water supplies have lead service lines. The public map, created by the Minnesota Department of Health and the University of Minnesota, is based on lead service line inventories submitted by water utilities across the state. Users can search by address or zoom in to see whether a building is serviced by lead lines and if the lead is in the private or public section of the line.
Service lines connect a home to the city water main. The map does not include information on whether the plumbing within a building contains lead. Utilities were also required to notify residents if a lead line serves their home or building.
The map provides a public utility's best estimate and information gaps exist. Exposure to high levels of lead may cause anemia, weakness, and kidney and brain damage, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lead can damage a developing baby’s nervous system and brain development.
Even low-level lead exposures in developing babies have been found to affect behavior and intelligence. Lead is absorbed and stored in bones, blood and tissues, where it becomes a source of continual internal exposure. The Minnesota Department of Health created a map that shows the percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels by Census Tract compared to the rest of the state.
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