13 Michigan water systems fail excessive lead test: report

More than a dozen water systems in Michigan were found to have excessive lead compared to federal standards in the second half of 2018, according to a new report.

The 13 systems that failed the federal test were throughout the state, MLive reported Friday, citing data it had obtained from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

One water system served fewer than 100 homes, while another served a city of about 22,000 people. Seven systems were found to have lead levels twice as high as will be legal in Michigan starting in 2025, according to the report.{mosads}

The maximum legal level of lead in the U.S. is 15 parts per billion (ppb). In Michigan, 27 systems were found to have lead levels of at least 13 ppb, MLive reported.

Michigan last year began enforcing the strictest rules for lead in drinking water in the country following the water crisis in Flint. The state said it would limit lead to 12 ppb in 2025.

Flint appeared to have safe lead levels in the latest test of its water. Ninety percent of water samples tested in the city in the latter half of 2018 had lead levels of four ppb or less.