Fewer than 1 in 4 Des Moines water customers respond to lead pipe survey
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Lead water service lines harvested from older homes. Photo: Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Fewer than a quarter of Des Moines Water Works customers flagged in late 2024 as potentially having lead service lines have completed a self-reporting survey to help the utility identify them, according to information obtained by Axios this week.
Why it matters: Lead exposure can cause serious long-term health consequences — and Iowa now requires the disclosure of lead service lines as part of a home sale, effective this month.
Catch up quick: DMWW first notified over 55,000 customers in late 2024 that their homes could be connected to the water system by a service line made of lead or an unknown material. The utility requested help in identifying them.
State of play: Water exits metro plants lead-free but can be contaminated as it enters private property if pipes haven't been replaced.
- Homes built before 1940 may have lead lines, and those built before 1985 may have used contaminated solder.
By the numbers: DMWW has identified 23,805 customers with service lines of unknown material that may contain lead.
- Of those, 5,320 have responded to surveys.
Reality check: There are no fines for failure to respond to DSMWW, but home sales could be complicated if lines go unchecked under the new state disclosure law.
Friction point: Replacing DMWW customer lines could cost $200 million or more systemwide, roughly $10,000 per home.
- The costs have historically fallen to homeowners, though DMWW is pursuing federal and state funding to offset some of the costs.
Case in point: The utility recently launched its first fully funded replacement program in the Drake neighborhood, targeting about 350 homes and paid for by a federal grant.
Yes, but: There is no guarantee there will be enough funds to replace all lines.
What they're saying: Each time DMWW sends the material notification letters or promotes the self-reporting survey, response rates increase, Melissa Walker, a spokesperson for DMWW, tells Axios.
- The new disclosure requirement hasn't caused hiccups in home closings so far, Justin Hayes, general counsel for Iowa Realtors, tells Axios.
What's next: DMWW customers can check the status of their homes and self-report online.