Massachusetts

Marlboro, Massachusetts, Residents Question Safety of Drinking Water

Todd McIntyre says the water in his house looks clean and tastes great. But after he got a letter from the city of Marlboro, Massachusetts, he isn't sure if it's lead free.

"It did not say specifically which homes it was in," he said.

McIntyre says he got the letter in the mail a few weeks ago, warning there are elevated levels of lead in the water exceeding federal guidelines.

"They should have sent it out right away," he said.

The letter says the city tested for the problem last August. The results came in a month later, showing at least 1,200 properties were affected. Nowhere in the letter, though, does it say whether the water was safe to drink.

"They're hiding something, that's what it seems like," resident Doug Bryden said.

Adding to the confusion, the city says the letter was sent out in several waves since December, attached to utility bills. However, some neighbors say they're still in the dark.

"I have not received any letter of any kind of lead in the water," Barbara Smith said.

Mayor Arthur Vigeant says the water is now fine to drink, and that exposure was limited.

"It wasn't months, it was weeks," Vigeant said.

He acknowledges the city should have done a better job communicating.

"We thought we covered it good, but obviously, we could do better," he said.

The mayor says pipes with any lead are on private property, and they're now trying to help neighbors remove those, as well. But after all this, McIntyre says he's still skeptical.

"I don't know, maybe use some more bottled water, I guess," he said.

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