MOUNT VERNON, Ala. (WALA) - Mount Vernon water customers say they received a concerning letter from the utility this week saying an important ADEM deadline for testing the drinking water had been missed.
The missed test was for lead and copper metals in the city's main water system.
Some citizens tell FOX10 News they received a letter from the city of Mount Vernon with the headline "Failure to Submit Initial Service Line Inventory", plus an alarming message warning them of the dangers of lead exposure in their drinking water.
Marcus Hobbs, a certified water operator for Mount Vernon is clearing the air.
He says the city's water system is required to submit a report of whether or not harmful metals are detected in the water systems.
"This is something that EPA came up with after all the lead problems they had in Michigan a year or so ago. They wanted every system in the United States to now take a lead and copper inventory on their lines," said Hobbs.
However, Hobbs says the city failed to submit the inventory to ADEM by the Oct. 16 deadline.
Thus, Hobbs says ADEM required the city to send out warning letters to the public.
"Because we were late, ADEM sent us a letter and in it told us we needed to send out mail by hand to the public that the water was required to have this lead and copper surveyed and that we had not done it," Hobbs explained.
Hobbs says the report was eventually submitted on Dec. 13, and he says it came back crystal clear.
"There's no problem on the water. We've not had violations on our water reports. Every month, we take biological sample- bacterial samples and all of that stuff and we can show people the reports if they want to see them," he added.
On Friday, the mayor sent out a letter to the public letting them know the report was turned in. Hobbs says on behalf of the city, he's sorry for any confusion this has caused the community.
"I'm sorry if it would bring some type of concern but I hope they understand that the answers we're giving them are correct and help them to feel better about their water because it is in a clean state," Hobbs said.