“Your water service line might have Lead Pipe – Please Check”

“Dear PoPville,

Wonder how many of these went out yesterday.”

On Twitter DC Water wrote a resident:

“When replacing service lines along with water mains, we noticed some of the historic data was not correct. This is more common on blocks or adjacent blocks where lead service lines are or were present. That’s why we are asking for your help to confirm the pipe material.”

Email to OP from DC Water:

“DC Water is trying to remove all lead water service lines by 2030. Your home in XXX XX NE may have a lead water service line. We are researching our service line pipe material inventory to correct errors. Homes on your block were built in the early 1900s when lead service lines were often installed. Although our historic records indicate your home has a copper or brass service line, this data might not be correct.

DC Water will help you identify the pipe material for your water service line. This information sheet describes how to identify water pipe materials: www.dcwater.com/sites/default/files/Lead-Testing/DCWPipeMaterialIdentificationGuide_2021.pdf

These videos also show how to find the water service line entering your home and identify pipe materials.

-How to find you water service line entering the home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1TFNYyQ8w

-How to identify pipe material and conduct a scratch test:

We are asking you to take a picture of the water pipe coming into your home and send to us at [email protected]. Please include your address and evaluation of the pipe material in the email also. We will reply to the email with our findings.

If you identify a lead water service line, then we have options for replacing the pipe (see https://www.dcwater.com/lead for more information about lead pipe replacements). If you cannot view the point where the pipe enters the home, then we can discuss a water test that can identify if you have a lead service line.

We recommend filtering your water with a filter certified for lead removal until all sources of lead are removed. Lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water or other sources. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys and can interfere with the production of red blood cells. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults. Lead is stored in the bones and can be released later in life. During pregnancy, the baby receives lead from the mother’s bones which may affect brain development and growth.”