Could Your Water Service Line Contain Lead?
CHATHAM – It was a decade ago that Flint, Mich. experienced a city-wide crisis caused by lead leaching from old, corroded water service pipes. It took a $400 million effort, but the city’s water is safe once again, officials say.
Could there be lead in pipes leading to your home?
For most people, the answer is probably not. But in a few cases, public water suppliers just don’t know for certain, and state and federal regulations have prompted town water departments to begin inventorying all water service lines to make sure. In Chatham, the public works department has sent letters to property owners where there’s no clear evidence to show that service lines — the pipes between the main and the house — are safe plastic or copper.
“Prior to the town taking over the water supply, we had little control over the records that were kept or handed over,” Chatham DPW Director Robert Faley said. “We have a pretty good idea of the vast majority of water service lines, but we can’t rely on anecdotal information; we need proof. This is where cooperation with property owners is most important so we can ensure that from water main to faucet no contaminants are leaching into an individual water service.”
The unknown service lines are located all around town, and while there might be more in older parts of town where pipes were installed long ago, there is no large collection of unknown lines in any single part of town, Faley said. “There are newer sections of town where we fully expect the lines to be plastic, but again we can’t make assumptions when doing this inventory,” he said.
The letters sent to properties with unknown service lines provide information on the health risks of lead, which can cause cognitive or behavior problems, particularly in children. Lead poses a significant risk to pregnant women and their children, and in adults it can increase the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney and nervous system problems. Until officials can rule out lead pipes, people with unknown service lines are advised to flush their water for at least a minute before collecting water for drinking or cooking, waiting until the water turns cold. People are also advised to clear their faucet aerators, which can collect lead particles, and to change any water filters regularly. Water can be tested for lead, and parents may also opt to have their children’s blood tested for lead.
Should a lead service line be discovered, who would pay for the replacement?
“Currently we are still in the discovery stage. The good news is that we have yet to find a single lead service line,” Faley said. The town has reported its findings to state environmental officials. “Once we hear back from DEP, we will need to follow their directive which, will likely be further reduction in the quantity of unknown service lines and/or to initiate a lead service line replacement program. If we have a service line that needs to be replaced on the public side and that property owner has a corresponding service line that needs to be replaced on the private side, we will need to replace them both at the same time or follow a stringent testing program,” Faley said. “How the town would recover costs for the private side replacement has not been discussed yet. I know there has been funding identified for public or community-based private water systems, but I am not aware of any for individuals. Many of these details will be vetted once we get clear direction from DEP.”
People with questions about their service lines should call their water department or visit the department’s web page for more information.
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