VINALHAVEN — The results of a lead sampling program performed by the Vinalhaven Water District indicate that some homes in Vinalhaven have high levels of lead.

Lead can pose significant health risks, especially to young children and pregnant women, so residents may need to take corrective action in their homes, the company advised.

Although most homes tested had very low levels of lead, more than 10 percent of those sampled exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended level of 15 parts per billion. The Vinalhaven Water District will begin to implement a program to minimize lead in drinking water by January 1998. The program will include corrosion control treatment, source water treatment and public education.

While this program is being implemented, residents should take simple steps, such as flushing taps, to reduce their exposure to lead in drinking water. Since lead enters drinking water primarily through household plumbing, homes that contain brass fixtures or lead solder to join copper pipes, or that receive their water from a service line made of lead, are at the highest risk.

Lead in drinking water, although rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, can significantly increase a person’s total lead exposure, particularly the exposure of infants who drink baby formulas and concentrated juices that are mixed with water. The EPA estimates that drinking water can make up 20 percent or more of a person’s total exposure to lead.

To find out whether homeowners need to take action in their own homes, the Vinalhaven Water District recommends that tap water be tested. Testing is essential because you cannot see, taste or smell lead in drinking water. Several local laboratories can test drinking water.