Denver Water proposes to replace all lead pipes in system (2014, crime rates)

[Vision67]

https://www.denverpost.com/2019/07/0...ead-pipes-epa/

"Lead pipes may be present in Denver area homes built before 1951. The lines are owned by property owners, not the utility, but Denver Water would pay the full cost of replacement.

“We’re trying to identify where in our distributor network those lines are located. Essentially any home that is pre-1951 is a potential for lead service line,” Lochhead said.

At an estimated $5,000 per house, the program could cost close to $500 million. That would require higher water rates. In recent years, rates have increased by about 3% per year. That could grow to 4% or 5% in upcoming years, he said.

Some pipes are already being taken out — the utility and the city of Denver now remove lead lines when they encounter them during construction projects, and Denver Public Schools has started removing lead pipes from schools."

I had no idea that Denver had some areas with lead pipes.

[mic111]

Our house is 1994. We recently replaced the lead ball valve on the house main and the lead shutoff valves along the potable water line. I also checked the ball valves that were put in when we replaced the hot water tank in 2014 and those were low lead but still showed up on a swab check. Just not as heavy lead as the ones installed in 1994. The new ones that the plumbing company brought to install were labeled low lead. Luckily I caught it before they were installed and made them get lead free ones. These showed no lead with the lead check swab.

They said they got these from the same supplier they get parts for all their new build installations and that the bin has a big sign on them that said lead free. My take away is that even a brand new house could have lead potable water shut off valves. After I delved into it they said, oh, we thought this was a boiler system, not potable water but this was more a cya move. Who knew you had to inspect all the parts a plumber installs at your house for lead. Definitely Buyer Beware.

Basically it doesn't matter when you had your plumbing installed you could have lead.

[Westerner92]

I'm all for this. Lead is one of the most insidious pollutants. One of the main side effects of lead poisoning is increased irritability and aggression. The ban of lead in gas in the 70's is theorized to be one of the main contributors to crime rates plummeting in the 90s.

[xz2y]

Originally Posted by Vision67

https://www.denverpost.com/2019/07/0...ead-pipes-epa/

"Lead pipes may be present in Denver area homes built before 1951. The lines are owned by property owners, not the utility, but Denver Water would pay the full cost of replacement.

“We’re trying to identify where in our distributor network those lines are located. Essentially any home that is pre-1951 is a potential for lead service line,” Lochhead said.

At an estimated $5,000 per house, the program could cost close to $500 million. That would require higher water rates. In recent years, rates have increased by about 3% per year. That could grow to 4% or 5% in upcoming years, he said.

Some pipes are already being taken out — the utility and the city of Denver now remove lead lines when they encounter them during construction projects, and Denver Public Schools has started removing lead pipes from schools."

I had no idea that Denver had some areas with lead pipes.

I think lead pipes are everywhere. Think about it. When were many public schools built, for example. Whole neighborhoods went up across the country in the 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's. Rehabbing these places in recent years usually doesn't include replacing all the plumbing.

Many cities just don't want to admit it, due to the negative situation that happened in Flint, and the cost of replacing them. The bill comes due eventually, and the long cities wait, the worse it gets, both in costs and in disruption, torn up streets and landscaping, etc.

I lived in a house here in SE Michigan which was built in 1985. We had the water tested in 1990, and lead was found in the water because lead solder was used on the copper pipes.

Lead solder was banned in 1986, but think about all the homes and schools that still have it in their pipes built pre-1986.

"Since the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986, the use of lead-containing solders in potable water systems has effectively been banned nationwide."

[mic111]

Yes there is a ban. But you still have to be careful and test your own plumbing because as of two weeks ago we had a certified Master plumber intending to install lead shut off valves in our house.

[sheerbliss]

Originally Posted by Vision67

[url]
At an estimated $5,000 per house, the program could cost close to $500 million. That would require higher water rates. In recent years, rates have increased by about 3% per year. That could grow to 4% or 5% in upcoming years, he said.

Or people could filter their water for a small fraction of the cost.

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by sheerbliss

Or people could filter their water for a small fraction of the cost.

That is an excellent 50-year solution.
Not!

[Quietude]

Not to in any way diminish the real problem, but a check or shutoff valve with lead seals is very unlikely to shed any significant level of Pb into the water.

Water sitting in lead pipe runs or lead-lined tanks of any kind... that's a serious issue. Especially hot water. But pass-through contact of cold water with a tiny lead-containing surface... to be avoided, but not worth panic.

[mic111]

Originally Posted by Quietude

Not to in any way diminish the real problem, but a check or shutoff valve with lead seals is very unlikely to shed any significant level of Pb into the water.

That is what I thought also but it isn't true.

https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/sci...eaching-valves

"Yet two shut-off valves containing only about 6.5 percent lead leached toxic amounts of the metal into drinking fountains at the University of North Carolina."

[sheerbliss]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

That is an excellent 50-year solution.
Not!

From the article linked to: "In 2012, the utility’s ongoing testing detected lead in a few homes that exceeded federal limits....Denver Water monitors lead levels at several dozen homes with lead pipes. Levels haven’t exceeded the limit since 2012." Sounds like everybody needs $5,000 worth of new plumbing.