Updated 5:30 p.m. Friday:
Olathe city officials say tests conducted yesterday conclusively rule out elevated lead levels in the Ridgeview South neighborhood.
A release Friday afternoon says that tests of dozens of water samples have yet to be fully completed, but enough have been cleared to confirm the water system is not contaminated with lead.
"The bottom line is we will err on the side of caution when it comes to public health," Olathe City Manager Michael Wilkes said in a statement. "If we identify a potential risk like this, they should expect nothing less."
In response to the potential danger, the city accelerated water line replacement projects that were slated for this summer. The city will continue to follow the hastened schedule rather than delay the projects again.
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About 100 households in Olathe have been asked not to drink or cook with tap water until their pipes can be tested for lead.
Erin Vader with the City of Olathe says routine water line testing revealed elevated lead levels in the Ridgeview South subdivision.
“We have had no confirmed positives when it comes to high lead levels from the home,” Vader says. “We are operating out of an abundance of caution.”
Vader says the city reached out to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and alerted residents Tuesday night.
“It was kind of late into the evening, up to about 10 p.m.,” says Vader. “The other thing with that was timing. That first draw is so critical. We asked that water isn’t used, flushed, faucets not used about 6 to 8 hours before we collect that. We need it to be a fresh sample.”
First draw tests are the industry standard for measuring lead levels in water. Lead particulates are more common in water that’s been sitting in pipes overnight.
Vader says more than 90 samples were returned Wednesday. She says people probably acted so quickly because the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, has put lead in the spotlight.
“We don’t have any indication that it will even come back high, but that is not something we would ever want to compromise, and by that I mean the health and safety of residents,” Vader says.
Most of the homes in Ridgeview South are about 60 years old. The homes at greatest risk for lead contamination, however, are those built in the mid-1980s before lead pipes were banned.
The city is working with a lab that can provide expedited results within five business days. Until then, Vader says residents can call a number to have more bottled water delivered to their house.
Elle Moxley is a reporter for KCUR. You can reach her on Twitter @ellemoxley.
