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Getting the Lead
out of DC Tap Water
Lead Levels in the District's Tap Water Show a Promising Trend
Residents Should Continue to Flush Taps and Use Filters
Lead monitoring results in 2005 showed that 90
percent of the 100 homes tested so far had lead
levels of 15 parts per billion (ppb) or less. While
these samples tested below the level cited in EPA's
action level, it is important that District residents
continue to follow the consumer advisory for
flushing their taps and filtering before drinking the
water (see below). The advisory continues because
the Federal Lead and Copper Rule requires that lead
levels remain below the action level for two consecu-
tive six month periods.
The latest lead testing results are a positive sign that
the orthophosphate treatment is working. Testing
results have shown a steady decline in the 90th
percentile values since last August. From July
through September of 2004 (before and right after
the orthophosphate treatment began), 90 percent of
the homes tested had lead levels at or below 82
ppb. After the orthophosphate addition, testing
began to show declining lead levels. From October
through December 2004, 90 percent of homes
tested had lead levels at or below 31 ppb and, as
mentioned above, 90 percent of homes sampled
from January through April 2005 had lead levels at
or below 15 ppb.
Laboratory experiments conducted by WASA and
the Washington Aqueduct also indicate that the
orthophosphate treatment will work. Orthophos-
phate was added to the District's water City-wide
beginning on August 23, 2004. More information
on the lead levels is available on EPA's website at
www.epa.gov/dclead and on WASA's web site at
www. dcwasa. com/lead.
Continuing Consumer Advisory
Residents in homes known to have or suspected of
having lead service lines should continue to:
ALWAYS run the water in your home for 10
minutes to flush the pipes before drinking or using
it for cooking. Showering or washing clothes counts
as flushing, but you should still run each faucet for
60 seconds before use.
Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and
children under 6 years old should only drink
filtered tap water. Flush the pipes for 10
minutes as noted above before using your
home filter.
To conserve water and save time after flushing your
taps each morning, fill up several clean containers
of filtered water that you can store in the
refrigerator and use during the day.
All residents should continue to:
* Flush water from the tap for 60 seconds before
drinking or using it for cooking.
* Use only COLD water for drinking or cooking.
> Remove and clean the strainer/aerator/screen device
on your faucet regularly.
> Remember that boiling water will not remove lead!
For more information, see EPA's website at http://
www.epa.gov/dclead/#consumer.
Inside...
Update on Blood Testing
How Lead Gets into Tap Water
Lead Service Line Replacements
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
D.C. Water and Sewer Authority
D.C. Department of Health
Washington Aqueduct
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Getting the Lead
a
out of DC Tap Water
Testing Shows the Majority of District Residents Have Low Blood
Lead Levels
In response to public concerns about the elevated
lead levels in tap water, the DC Department of
Health (DOH) offered free blood tests to District
residents. DOH was most concerned about children
under 6 years of age and pregnant and nursing
women. Because lead can harm the developing
nervous systems of young children and unborn
babies, their lead exposure risk is greatest. The level
of concern for this group is 10 micrograms (ug) of
lead per deciliter (dL) of blood (ug/dL).
Of the 1,954 people in this at-risk group whom
DOH tested, the vast majority (98 percent) did not
have elevated blood lead levels. Forty (40) children
under 6 years old and two nursing mothers had lead
levels above 10 ug/dL. None of the pregnant
women tested had elevated blood lead levels. See
DOH's website (http://emergencyeenter.dc.gov/) or
call (202) 671-0733 for more information.
DOH visited the homes of people with high blood
lead levels to determine what lead sources were
present. All of these people live in homes that either
did not have lead service lines or, if they did have a
Sources of Lead Exposure
lead service line, other factors, such as elevated soil
or dust lead levels may have contributed to their
elevated blood lead levels. Research suggests that
the primary sources of lead exposure for most
children are deteriorating lead-based paint and
lead-contaminated dust or soil. (See the graphic on
this page.)
The Lead Action Level Explained
The Lead and Copper Rule aims to protect public health by reducing the likelihood that lead will
leach from plumbing materials into tap water. Exceeding the lead action level means that more
than ten percent of the samples a water system takes have a lead concentration higher than 15
ppb. This is evidence that lead is leaching into drinking water at higher than usual rates. When
the tap water exceeds the action level for lead, Federal law requires the water system to take
specific steps, including:
* study the water chemistry and change the water treatment to reduce lead leaching,
> remove seven percent of the lead service lines in public space and replace them with copper
lines, and
> begin a public education program, including public service announcements.
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Getting the Lead
out of DC Tap Water
Where Does DC's Drinking Water Come From?
The Washington Aqueduct pumps water from the Potomac River. Its treatment plants make the water safe
to drink.
The Washington Aqueduct sells the treated water to WASA (as well as to Arlington County and the City of
Falls Church). The Aqueduct's service area is shown in yellow on the map.
WASA delivers the water to DC residents via water mains.
U.S. EPA regulates the quality of the drinking water in DC.
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Getting the Lead
out of DC Tap Water
How Lead Gets into Tap Water
The water that District residents drink comes from
the Potomac River and is treated by the Washington
Aqueduct. The water contains almost no lead until
it reaches individual service lines. Because water
naturally corrodes metal, lead can leach into the
water from lead service
lines or household plumb-
ing materials that contain
lead.
Under the Federal Lead
and Copper Rule, water
systems must develop,
gain EPA approval of, and
implement a treatment
plan to help prevent lead
from leaching from
plumbing materials, from
the service lines to faucets.
Everybody knows that good eating
habits are important. But were you
aware that eating right may also
protect your body from lead? In
addition to being good for you, foods
that are rich in iron, calcium, and
vitamin C may help reduce the
amount of lead your body absorbs.
the pipes. Chlorine was replaced by chloramines in
2000 to reduce levels of disinfection by-products
(DBFs) in drinking water. (EPA regulates levels of
DBPs in drinking water to reduce health risks
associated with them.) When chlorine was replaced
with chloramines, the
reaction between the
chlorine and the lead was
no longer happening, and
lead began dissolving very
slowly into the water.
So, why did lead levels rise in the District? Re-
searchers believe that the lead increase is related to a
change in disinfectants. In the past, chlorine in
drinking water reacted with the lead and kept it on
Orthophosphate was
added to the District's
water beginning in August
2004 to control lead
leaching. Orthophosphate
works by building up a
thin protective coating
inside pipes and plumbing
fixtures to prevent metals from leaching into the
water. This process takes timeexperts believe it
may take a year or more after the addition of the
Orthophosphate to reduce lead corrosion.
How Lead Gets into Tap Water
Washington
Aqueduct
Treats Water
DCWASA
Distributes Water
to Residents
Non-lead Service Li
Water contains the same
low levels of lead as in the main
but may pick up low levels of lead
from water meters.
- Internal
Plumbing
When water
spends several
hours in the
internal plumbing
without moving,
it can absorb low
levels of lead
from fixtures and
faucets.
-Meter
Meter
Potomac River
Water in main ALWAYS contains
very low levels of lead (less
than 2 ppb)
Lead Service Line
When water spends several hours
in the lead service line without
moving, it can absorb lead from
the service line.
*A small fraction of homes have brass service lines that can also contribute low levels of lead.
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Getting the Lead
D out of DC Tap Water
WASA Replaced 1,700 Lead Service Lines in 2004
In 2004, WASA replaced the public portion of
approximately 1,700 lead service lines. In doing so,
WASA more than met the Federal requirement for
replacing 7 percent of the lead service lines in its
distribution system.
On July 1, 2004, WAS As Board of Directors
approved a plan to replace all of the City's 23,000
lead service line pipes on public space by 2010.
WASA plans to contact customers before beginning
lead service line replacement work in their
neighborhood.
WASA encourages residents with lead service lines
to consider replacing the lead piping on their
property at the same time. Wachovia Bank will
make loans available to low-income District
homeowners to pay for private side service line
replacements.
WASA worked with the District of Columbia
Department of Housing and Community
Development (DHCD) to develop DHCD grants
of up to $5,000 for eligible homeowners to replace
lead service lines on their property. To obtain
information, call (202) 442-7154 or e-mail
dhcdwaterlines@ dc. gov.
To find out if your home has a lead service
line, contact the WASA lead services hotline
by calling (202) 787-2732 or e-mailing
WQP2003@dcwasa.com.
Of the approximately 130,000 homes in the District,
23,000 have lead service lines, about 80,000 have
service lines made from copper or brass, and the
composition of about 27,500 is unknown. WASA is
undertaking a special effort to identify the
composition of service lines at homes where the pipe
material is not identified in historical records.
Spring Switch to Chlorine Cancelled
The Washington Aqueduct recently announced that it cancelled this year's annual spring switch to
chlorine as a temporary disinfectant. Many water systems routinely switch disinfectants for a few
weeks each year to help remove the harmless bacteria that grow inside of the pipes. Given recent
decreases in lead levels, officials opted to skip the disinfectant switch this year to allow the
orthophosphate to continue working.
The decision was based on the advice of water quality experts, who felt that the benefits of stable
water chemistry outweighed those associated with the chlorine switch. To compensate, WASA will
expand its flushing program and other programs, including additional monitoring of bacteria
levels.
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Getting the Lead
0 out of DC Tap Water
+*
Additional Information
The following lead publications are available:
Fight Lead Poisoning With a Healthy Diet (a
Lead in Your Home: A Parent's Reference Guide
> Fight Lead Poisoning With a Healthy Diet (available in English and Spanish)
E
> Lead in the District of Columbia Fact Sheet
> Lead and Coffer Rule: A Quick Reference Guide
> Lead Poisoning and Your Children (available in English and Spanish)
> Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home (available in English and Spanish)
* Getting the Lead Out of DC Drinking Water Tip Sheet (available in English and Spanish)
* DC Drinking Water: Finding a Solution to the Lead Problem
> Fact sheet: General Information on Lead in Drinking Water
> Getting the Lead Out of DC Drinking Water Poster (available in English and English/Spanish bilingual)
> Fact Sheet: Health Effects of Lead
* Research Newsletter
* Fact Sheet: Blood Lead Levels in District of Columbia Residents
To obtain copies of any of these materials, call the Risk Communications Outreach Office at (703) 247-
6193, or send an e-mail to leadoutreach@cadmusgroup.com. Please provide your name, mailing address,
and the number and type of materials you are requesting. Information is also available at the phone numbers
and web sites below.
For more information:
U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline ... 800/426-4791 http://www.epa.gov/dclead/
D.C. Water and Sewer Authority 202/787-2732 http://www.dcwasa.com/
D.C. Department of Health 202/671-0733 http://dchealth.dc.gov/
Washington Aqueduct 202/764-2753 http://washingtonaqueduct.nab.usace.army.mil/
^* Printed on chlorine-free 100% recycled paper with
«(r 100% post-consumer fiber using vegetable-based ink.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency D.C. Water and Sewer Authority D.C. Department of Health Washington Aqueduct
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