In both Sebring, Ohio, and Flint, Michigan, local water systems and state agencies that are supposed to protect people and the environment have been criticized for their slow response to findings of lead contamination in drinking water.

In both Sebring, Ohio, and Flint, Michigan, local water systems and state agencies that are supposed to protect people and the environment have been criticized for their slow response to findings of lead contamination in drinking water.

"It�s not just a little troubling; it put people at risk," said Rep. John Boccieri, D-Poland, who represents Sebring and surrounding areas in the Ohio House.

The Dispatch reported last week that the public didn't learn about the contamination in Sebring until Jan. 21, months after officials of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Sebring public water system knew about it.

EPA records show the agency knew as early as October that the water in some Sebring-area homes contained unsafe levels of lead. Some state legislators say the agency might have known as early as Aug. 21 � five months before the public was notified.

Officials of Sebring's public water system certainly knew that the water was contaminated that early, according to records from the state-certified laboratory that tested the water.

In Flint, the water might have been contaminated as early as April 2014, and, although residents complained, Michigan officials didn't acknowledge a risk until September 2015.

So, what went wrong? In Sebring, it seems, almost everything.

On Friday, Mike Baker, chief of the Ohio EPA's division of drinking and ground waters, told The Dispatch that at some point, the Sebring public water system stopped adding sodium hydroxide to the water supply. Without it, water can become more corrosive and affect old residential lead pipes.

The local water department sampled 20 tap-water sites for lead contamination in August. The lab that tested those samples found unsafe levels of lead in three sites.

The lab sent an email on Aug. 20 to James Bates, the operator of Sebring's public water system, notifying him of the high levels. The EPA knew about the contamination by October.

But there is no record of the water system or the EPA notifying the public until December, when it's possible that a few customers were told of possible contamination.

Ohio EPA Director Craig Butler said last week that his agency was hamstrung by ineffective federal rules concerning public notification about lead contamination. But Baker said on Friday that the Ohio EPA could have written its own rules.

"I think in this case, there's nothing that prohibits us from being more stringent than the federal requirements," Baker said.

The agency sent notices to Bates and the water system demanding that the system notify the 8,100 people. But the agency didn't force a notification until Jan. 21.

On Jan 25, the EPA issued an emergency order barring Bates from working at the plant. The EPA has said that Bates falsified records to the EPA, which is calling for a criminal investigation. Bates told The Dispatch that the EPA is making him a scapegoat.

In Columbus, water officials say that many old water service lines contain lead, and older brass fixtures in homes can contain lead. If tap water is too acidic, lead breaks down and can get into the water.

Rod Dunn, manager of the Columbus public water system's laboratory, said the city monitors pH levels to limit acidity.

The city also tests every three years for lead, a frequency set by the Ohio EPA.

Since Jan. 21, the Mahoning County District Board of Health has tested for lead in pregnant women, breast-feeding women and children 6 and younger in Sebring. Five children have tested positive for elevated lead levels, said Patricia Sweeney, health commissioner.

larenschield@dispatch.com

@larenschield