East Chicago: Lead in water didn't come from city water main

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (AP) - Officials in the northwestern Indiana city of East Chicago say lead found in drinking water came from service lines just outside or even inside homes.

East Chicago's director of operations Greg Crowley tells The (Northwest Indiana) Times (http://bit.ly/2htCp9j ) that water coming in from the city's water mains doesn't have lead in it. The Environmental Protection Agency says the federal agency's tests have discovered elevated levels of lead in drinking water East Chicago, where contamination already has forced some residents to move.

The high lead levels were found in 18 of the homes the EPA tested.

Mayor Anthony Copeland says officials are considering a program to help residents obtain water filters. He says he's asked the state for an emergency declaration to help get more federal funding.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com