SELMA – Approximately 280 water customers in Selma were notified this month of a trace amount of lead found in the drinking water supply. Additional testing will be taking place over the next few weeks and months in the Lizzie Mill area in the northeast section of Selma, officials announced Feb. 13.
Assistant Town Manager Phillip McDaniel said a former Town of Selma employee failed to take the appropriate test samples on or before March 21, 2024. The appropriate test samples were subsequently taken on May 16, 2024. Current Town of Selma staff were not notified about the testing failure, or the undesirable test result, until February 5, 2025. The proper notifications were mailed to the affected customers on February 6, 2025.
The Town randomly provides tests for residents to take within a residential home from a faucet. Test results can be affected by the condition of private plumbing in the residential homes. McDaniel said a single test sample contained trace amounts of lead. The sample was taken by a homeowner inside the residence.
The water line in the area is a Johnston County water line that the Town of Selma uses to purchase water from the County.
McDaniel said the Town of Selma and Johnston County will work together to further investigate the water line in question to evaluate the water quality within the water line.
McDaniel pointed out, “We have not had undesirable test results in our Town of Selma water system in recent years.”
Mayor Byron McAllister there is no boil water advisory and no need for bottled water. He reemphasized that only trace amount of lead were found during an individual residential test inside a home.
“One of the kits might have come back with an elevated level, and there is no way to truly detect if the pipe was part of the private residence or broader area. Per state guidance, there is no need to do anything further at this time, just monitor the situation,” Mayor McAllister said. “Johnston County and the Town of Selma will do additional testing in the area to verify there is no water line issue. It very well may have been a faucet in a home made out of a certain material.”
Chandra Farmer, Director of Johnston County Public Utilities said, “Since the early 1990s, public water systems like Johnston County continuously treat and test our drinking water to protect the public from lead and copper exposure in drinking water. Water does not have lead when it leaves the treatment plant and when it goes into or leaves the County mains, which carry water from the treatment plant to the community. Water can pick up lead as it flows through a customer’s service line or household plumbing, if either has lead. However, the County’s water treatment process includes corrosion control treatment (zinc orthophosphate) to prevent corrosion and the leaching of lead from any water services lines or plumbing containing lead. The County conducts routine lead and copper testing, in compliance with existing rules, to ensure our corrosion control treatment system is effective. The County will work with the Town of Selma to further assist any customers that may be concerned about potential lead in their plumbing.”
Selma is currently anticipating a significant grant for lead and copper mitigation throughout the entire Town water system. This type of mitigation will further reduce the chance of undesirable water test results in the Town of Selma water system. Anticipated grant funding will include money to replace a significant amount of water lines.
Anyone with questions about their drinking water in the Town of Selma can contact the Selma Town Hall for more information.
Lead in the water, well that explains allot.