I suppose it gets to be a public health issue, but the problem still lies with the individual homes. If the pH is as basic as it can practically be, then what else can the water dept do? It's ultimately down to those individual home owners to run their tap before taking drinking water, and/or spend the money replumbing. And while such a testing bias could mean a public health issue goes undiagnosed, my problem is that the article is way too ambiguously alarmist while failing to mention even straightforward steps that individuals can take.