Politics & Government

Worried About Lead? DC Water Offers Answers

A Centers for Disease Control Report released Dec. 1 caused speculation that District residents were still being exposed to too much lead. DC Water offers answers for worried residents.

D.C. residents who had their lead service lines (LSL) partially replaced between 1998 and 2006 were exposed to levels of lead in their water that were dangerous to pregnant women, children and others with weakened immune systems, according to a recently released Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report. The Washington Post first reported the findings, stating that some 15,000 homes might still face high exposure levels. Sarah Neiderer a water outreach specialist with DC Water said that while the CDC report raised genuine concerns about prior exposure, the agency does not believe homes are currently at great risk for lead exposure.

Neiderer said the Post reported the findings "incorrectly." The agency discontinued the process of replacing pipes that the CDC report cited when it became aware of dangerously high levels of lead, explained Neiderer. She said 90 percent of current instances where the lead levels in water are higher than is safe are caused by galvanized indoor plumbing in a home, not the pipes in the public space.

The CDC report recommended that, "Residents of properties where plumbing work has been done, including partial replacement of LSL, should take precautions such as using bottled or filtered water until they are sure that the water lead levels are below the EPA action level of 15 ppb [parts per billion]."

Find out what's happening in Georgetownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Residents can check their current lead levels if they have an online account with DC Water for bill paying or call DC Water and choose the voice prompt for questions about lead  202-354-3600. The agency has records on lead levels and the material of the public service pipes.

Neiderer said any residents with concerns over exposure should consult a physician and consider having blood tests run.

Find out what's happening in Georgetownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Neiderer said the agency now replaces the public  service lines if a customer replaces the piping on the private side and asks DC Water to replace the public line as well. Additionally, should an older public service line break, the agency often replaces that line and encourages neighboring properties to replace the private side lines.

DC Water offers neighbors water filters and enough cartridges for six months after a line is replaced. At five and a half months the agency checks the lead levels on replaced lines to make sure the levels are not elevated towards the "action level," which is when the agency steps to address higher exposure risks.

Not sure if your home's pipes are lead? You could always hire a plumber to check or just go to where the water connection comes into your home and examine the piping. Neiderer said a simple test with a penny can identify lead pipes, "you can easily push lead with another piece of metal and see a marking." Copper pipes are considered safe and are easily identified by their color. Iron pipes withstand the penny test, "if you put a coin up to iron, it wont do anything," explained Neiderer.

DC Water maintains a list of certified testers should you want a professional opinion. 

Not sure if your public service lines were replaced? DC Water has a list online of the areas that received replacement; Georgetown locations are listed below.

Georgetown Schedule of Pipe Replacement 2007-2010

Block Street Year 2500 Q St. 2010 2700 P St. 2008 3400 Reservoir Rd. 2008 3600 T St. 2008 1400 27th St. 2007 900-1199 30th St. 2007 1500 30th St. 2007 1200-1699 31st St. 2007 1400 35th St. 2007 Partial 1660-1799 35th St. 2007 1800 35th St. 2007 1400 37th St. 2007 2700 Poplar St. 2007 1200 Potomac 2007 3500-3899 S St. 2007 3500-3548 Partial Block T St. 2007 2500 Q St. 2007

Georgetown Schedule of Replacement  2004-2007

Block Street Year 1200-1300 36th St. 2006 1900 35th St. 2006 1900 35th Pl. 2006 1600 34th St. 2006 1400 33rd St. 2006 1500-1656 Blocks
32nd St. 2006 1025-1077 31st St. 2006 1400 30th St. 2006 1300-1326 Block 27th St. 2006 3300 R St. 2005 1600 Avon Pl. 2005 1900 38th St. 2005 1500 26th St. 2003 4200 37th St. 2003 3800 S St. 2003


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