Des Moines Water Works asks customers to help identify lead pipes
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Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) sent letters to over 55,000 customers late last week asking for assistance identifying lead lines in their homes.
Why it matters: Lead is a public health threat. The agency is trying to identify contaminated pipes and help residents pay to replace them.
- DMWW estimates that 20,000 of its customers have lines that contain lead that could cost upward of $200 million to replace, but they aren't exactly sure who is affected.
The big picture: The EPA estimates that up to 9 million American homes are served by lines that contain lead, and last month it issued final rules requiring their replacement over the next decade.
Catch up quick: Water departs metro plants lead-free but can become contaminated as it enters a property with lead water service lines, which many homes constructed before 1940 have.
- Plus: Those with copper lines installed before 1985 may have soldering that contains lead.
Threat level: High. Even low-level exposures can increase behavioral problems and lower IQ in children.
- Adults can suffer from heart, kidney and reproductive malfunctions, according to the CDC.
State of play: Metro customers are generally responsible for water line maintenance on their property.
- The typical cost to remove lead pipes from a home, DMWW says, is around $10,000.
Yes, but: DMWW has applied for a state loan that could forgive about half the cost for people living in eligible neighborhoods.
The intrigue: DMWW and other municipalities are lobbying state lawmakers to require the disclosure of lead water service lines for residential properties at the time of a sale, utility spokesperson Melissa Walker tells Axios.
What's next: DMWW customers with "unknown" material in their water lines should complete a self-reporting survey, even if their lines have been replaced recently.
- Questions can be directed to the utility at 515-283-8700.