Jefferson Parish begins identifying homes with lead pipes
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Jefferson Parish residents are learning if they may or may not have toxic lead in their water pipes.
Why it matters: It's the first time the data has been publicly available.
The big picture: The parish is mailing letters to water customers warning them of the health hazards of lead and telling them the status of their water lines. This letter will be mailed annually going forward.
- Lead pipes were common in Louisiana until September 1988, when the state started enforcing the national ban.
- The vast majority of pipes for the parish's 160,000 customers haven't been tested for lead yet and are listed as "unknown," Sidney Bazley, the parish's water director, tells Axios.
- The inventory was turned over to the state last month and published online last week. View the PDFs for the East Bank and West Bank to check your address.
What's next: Jefferson Parish is in the process of upgrading every water meter and is using that project to inventory the pipe materials, Bazley said. It's expected to take three and a half years to complete.
- You can also hire a plumber or use these tips from the EPA to determine if you have lead pipes. Here's how you can use a magnet to check.
- Parish officials ask that you tell them if you confirm you have lead pipes.
Between the lines: The parish is financially responsible for replacing the service lines that bring water to your address.
- Property owners are usually responsible for replacing most lead pipes and fixtures on their land.
State of play: Jefferson Parish is in the process of converting the information into an interactive map similar to what New Orleans did, Bazley said.
- The Sewerage & Water Board's searchable map identifies about 15,000 customers with lead pipes that need to be replaced. That number will likely grow.
- Info about pipe materials wasn't available for about 120,000 customers, SWBNO said last month. Those will be updated as more inspections are done.
What to do: New Orleans offers free lead test kits and water filter pitchers.
- Jefferson Parish doesn't have a similar program, Bazley said. You can buy mail-away lead tests at stores.
- These labs are also certified with the Louisiana Department of Health.
How it works: Drinking water doesn't have detectable levels of lead when it leaves the treatment plants in Orleans and Jefferson parishes, the utilities say.
- However, water can be contaminated on its journey through lead pipes and plumbing fixtures.
Zoom out: The EPA estimates that up to nine million homes across the country are served by lead pipes, many of which are in lower-income communities and communities of color.
- Nearly 90% of homes in a citywide study of residential drinking water in New Orleans tested positive for lead contamination, according to the nonprofit Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans.
- The long-term goal is to replace lead pipes, but it is going to take years.
- The feds last month allocated $2.6 billion across the U.S. to end this "generational public health problem" within about 10 years.
Threat level: Childhood lead poisoning has been a high-profile issue in New Orleans since the 1980s, when many public housing projects were found to have lead hazards, according the state Department of Health.
- State legislation requires all children younger than 6 to be tested for lead. Children are usually screened via a blood test around 12 months or 24 months of age.
- Lead poisoning can cause early birth, stunted growth, learning delays and behavioral problems. There's no known antidote for lead poisoning, the CDC says.
You can be exposed to lead by breathing in, eating and drinking lead dust particles, according the New Orleans Health Department.
- Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are some of the most widespread and hazardous sources of lead exposure for young children in the state, LDH says.
- Contaminated applesauce pouches have been a problem this year, as well.
- Anyone can get lead poisoning, but those most at risk are pregnant people and young children, according to the health department.