Washington DC- Still Working to become Lead Free

From testing it is known that lead is not present in the water before it enters the DC Water distribution system. The lead comes from either pipes delivering water to the homes (the laterals) or from the household plumbing. The most effective way to minimize exposure to lead is to remove the source of lead.

For decades instead of replacing lead pipes urban water companies, not just DC Water, have used chemicals to control lead and other chemicals from leaching into the water supply. Many at the American Water Works Association and other trade groups have questioned the wisdom of this strategy, there is always some lead leaching and many of us believe that there is no safe level of lead in drinking water.

Lead can cause serious health problems. Lead can cause damage to the brain and kidneys and can interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults. Lead is stored in the bones and can be released later in life. During pregnancy, the child receives lead from the mother’s bones which may affect brain development and growth. 

In 2001 Washington DC had a lead in water problem much larger than the Flint Michigan “crisis” a decade ago. The problem in Washington DC was sparked by the Washington Aqueduct’s change from chlorine to chloramine in its disinfection process. As in Flint, the change in water chemistry resulted in a disturbance in the bio-film on the pipes which resulted in lead leaching into the drinking water. It is, however; likely that the lead laterals in Washington DC were leaching lead at a lower level all along.

In 2003, the EPA required DC Water to begin an accelerated lead pipe replacement program. The city passed a resolution to fund an accelerated lead pipe replacement program in 2004. This resolution required DC Water to replace all known lead service lines in public space by September 30, 2010, and replace any newly discovered lead service lines within 90 days of discovery. The resolution also required DC Water to encourage customers to replace their private side portion of the lead service lines when the public side is replaced, offering the property owner the same rate as DC Water’s actual cost.

Although the use of lead pipes and fittings was phased out by the 1980’s, the burden of replacing lead pipes on private property has fallen on homeowners.  DC Water’s ownership of the distribution system stops at the property line when the homeowner or building owner becomes responsible. Originally, DC Water management decided that the portion of the lead lateral on private property was not DC Water’s responsibility and would not be replaced at DC Water’s expense. However, it was discovered that replacing only a section can induce a chemical reaction from the addition of other metals, like copper, in new sections of pipe.

In 2019, Washington DC’s internal audit found that there was still measurable amounts of lead in residents’ drinking water.  DC Water had failed to identify and remove all sources of lead in the piping and pumps that deliver water throughout the city. Furthermore, DC Water did not ensure that all sites with lead service lines have been identified, and in the testing that did take place all wards of the city were not equally represented. In short, DC Water and their plan to replace lead service lines has failed the city residents.

from DC Water

DC Water went back to the drawing board and created the Lead-Free DC program to accelerate lead service line replacement and combine all lead reduction efforts under one banner. Unfortunately, it was just ahead of the pandemic, so the program got off to a very slow start and was updated in 2024 to more effectively address the lead problem by combining all programs. At that time DC Water estimated the District of Columbia had almost 42,000 service lines with lead or galvanized-iron pipe. It is their updated goal to replace all of them with copper pipe. So far they have completed less than a quarter of the work, but now they have a nice dashboard. 

Under the Lead-Free DC initiative, there are multiple lead service line replacement programs to help property owners and renters receive a lead service line replacement. Most require qualifying to subsidies based on income and getting prioritized to get on the waiting list.  To find out if your property has a lead service line and what program it may qualify for, enter your address in the Service Inventory Map at this link DC Water Service Information.  You can also reach out to Lead Free DC at 202-787-4044 or lead@dcwater.com to answer any questions you may have.