Many Midwest residents distrust their tap water, opting to purchase water and ice from standalone kiosks. University of Iowa researchers recently found that these kiosks may contain at least trace amounts of lead. Rachel Schnelle investigated this research on behalf of the Midwest Newsroom. We talk with her and two University of Iowa researchers behind this study that sampled many kiosks around Iowa.
Study co-lead authors Samantha Zuhlke and David Cwiertny share how these drinking water vending machines are more likely to be located in non-white, lower socioeconomic areas, and they live in a regulatory gray area compared to community water systems and bottled water, that are more regulated.
They hope to educate Iowans on this issue, and offer solutions on a local to federal level on how to ensure safe water from these kiosks.
Drew Latta of the University of Iowa's Get the Lead Out program also joins the conversation to talk about how the program offers free drinking water testing to all Iowans who make be at risk of lead exposure.
Guests:
- Rachel Schnelle, feature reporter, KRPS - Four States Public Radio
- Samantha Zuhlke, assistant professor, UI School of Planning and Public Affairs
- David Cwiertny, UI professor of civil and environmental engineering and chemistry and director, Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination
- Drew Latta, associate research scientist and director, Get the Lead Out
