Esperance school water tested for lead

School water in Esperance will be tested after it was discovered thousands of bird deaths near the West Australian town were probably caused by lead poisoning.

But a company which transports lead carbonate through the south-west WA town says there is no evidence the general population is at risk.

The mystery deaths of about 4000 birds near Esperance, between December 7 and January 2, had perplexed the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) until tests recently showed the birds probably died of lead poisoning.

These revelations have alarmed residents of the southern WA town.

Some people have had their water tanks tested for lead and subsequently been warned not to drink the water.

However, Health Department director of environmental health Jim Dodds said today there was no current evidence that lead was affecting people in Esperance.

"We have seen no evidence, at this stage, that there is lead out there that is finding its way into the human population in Esperance," Mr Dodd said on ABC Radio.

Mr Dodd said two water tanks had tested slightly above the lead levels recommended by the Australian drinking water guidelines.

However, he said this was not unusual, because many roofs and gutters can contain lead, and it was standard practice to warn people in such cases not to drink their water.

Mr Dodd said health experts were being sent to the town and his department had asked the DEC to continue its testing.

"We are suggesting the sampling should focus on places like schools and out through the community, and that particular tests should be done.

"If we find a source, our focus will be first to get that source cleaned up."

Mr Dodds said one family in Esperance had asked for lead testing and the results showed their levels were very low.

The Esperance Port Authority Board has suspended the movement of lead carbonate from Magellan Metals in and out of the port until the source of the poisoning is identified.

Magellan said today it supported the work to identify the source of the lead and how the birds were getting it into their systems.

"It is reassuring that the Department of Health, in its monitoring of the DEC Investigations into the bird fatalities, has not seen any evidence to suggest the general population has been exposed to a health risk," the company said.

The miner said it had made the services of leading environmental experts in ENESAR available to assist in the review of the port's lead handling operations.