Back to the Real Salt Lake Newsfeed

No sign of elevated lead in the blood of Sandy residents after the big water contamination

Tests taken after Sandy’s recent water contamination found no sign of elevated lead levels in residents’ blood, the Salt Lake County Health Department reports.

Intermountain Healthcare administered 704 blood tests between Feb. 23 and March 8 to residents of the three zones in Sandy where fluoride, copper and lead leaked into the water system. Of those tested, only one — an adult over 65 – was found with a lead level of 5.1 micrograms per deciliter of blood, above the level where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends launching public health actions.

One out of 704 is lower than what the county health department would statistically expect for a population that size, based on the expected prevalence of elevated blood lead levels across the county.