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See if your home is connected to water mains via lead pipes
By adamg on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 8:20am
The Globe posts a database of the more than 3,500 Boston addresses that are connected to BWSC water mains with lead pipes - which means occupants should probably let their water run for a bit first thing in the morning.
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I used a lead testing kit a few years ago and our results were fine. Our pipe probably dates to the 1870s; I was told there is probably so much crud and sediment coating the inside (I try not to think about it) that our water never comes into contact with lead. We still run the water for a while and use a filtering pitcher for drinking and cooking.
http://www.bwsc.org/COMMUNITY/lead/testing_centers.asp
Crud is good
That was the problem in Flint: The more acidic water from the Flint River dissolved the crud that had formed a barrier to keep the lead from getting into the water.
In our case, I guess there was an advantage to having our pipe burst right at the house line 10 years or so ago - they completely replaced the old pipe.
Similar here
The city replaced our private service pipe around 10 years ago as well. We had to pay for it, but we qualified for the lead pipe abatement program, which covers up to $1000, and the remaining cost wasn't too bad - I don't recall exactly, but I'm pretty sure it was well under $500.
Such a deal! If you can get
Such a deal! If you can get your lead out and a new service line installed for $500, its a non-issue. Do it, $500 is nothing to a home owner. Case closed!
In Flint, the corrosive water
In Flint, the corrosive water didn't just dissolve the crud, it actively dissolved the lead pipes themselves, too. Even lead pipes in direct contact with (clean, proper) water wouldn't leach as much lead as they're dealing with in Flint.
Does your filter pitcher
Does your filter pitcher remove lead?
Is it a city database freely given?
If so is it possible to post the link for those of us without a way through the paywall?
Map from BWSC
http://www.bwsc.org/COMMUNITY/lead/leadmaps.asp#TOP_PAGE
Input your address. If your building is surrounded by yellow ... hello Lead pipes!
Whoa
This is fascinating. At least in my neighborhood, it's mostly one house at a time that's surrounded by yellow. Does this suggest they redid the neighborhood and these homeowners weren't cooperative with allowing access and so forth? Or BWSC just doesn't like these people...?
You own the service , not the
You own the service , not the city. City stops at curb box shutoff, which maybe be on sidewalk.
If you have lead, at least
If you have lead, at least get contractors quotes on running a new line, so you are informed and not guessing.Not sure if copper is king, maybe pvc. The contractor will know the code.
The globe is making me pay to
The globe is making me pay to see the list. And I cannot google the list. Can you post the real site?
Clear your cookies
The Globe lets you read 5 articles a month for free.
Clear your cookies and their site will allow you to read 5 articles.
Malden is the community with
That explains a lot.
My childhood home is on the
My childhood home is on the list. Like my late Dad would say, you eat a peck of dirt before you die.
NOT a map of negative for lead, just a partial map of positives!
This map/database *only* represents those houses where lead supply pipes have been *confirmed* by homeowner reports or direct inspection.
There are likely many buildings in Boston that have lead supply pipes that do not show up on that list. The vast majority of buildings in Boston predate the use of non-lead supply lines, so unless a home has had its service updated since construction, it quite possibly has lead lines from the mains to the building envelope. The Glob article mentions this in a very casual way that I think most readers will miss.
The only way to be sure that your home does not have lead supply is to go visually inspect the pipe where it enters your house. Just takes a couple minutes.
Having said that - Boston has very low levels of lead in our water supply, especially for a major metro. The main lead exposure most Bostonians have probably comes from engine exhaust and old paint dust.
Engine exhaust? You can still
Engine exhaust? You can still buy leaded gasoline somewhere around here?
Cottage street in East Boston
Cottage street in East Boston has lead in the pipes leading to homes, and I had a relative who lived on Cottage street for 6 years and was unknown about this situation,how long has it been ?
A known fact , a small percentage of Women who grew up in or around Cottage street area in the last 50 years have some form of breast cancer , could this be linked to the drinking water in this particular area of East Boston.
I can confirm this
My house has a lead supply pipe, shown to me by the home inspector when we bought. The house next to ours is the only one from our street on the map identified as having lead, but I'd bet not only does mine, but so would most of the others. We tested our water and our pediatrician was always on top of testing our children. They never exhibited any detectable lead levels. As with asbestos, very often, a lead pipe left alone is fairly safe. At any rate, the greatest lead risk is from paint dust.