Concerns about the amount of lead in the water rose again following the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, where dangerous levels of lead were recently discovered in the water.
“We have been working on this problem for many years as a society and we have indeed made great strides. But there is certainly more to be done, which is why we take this so seriously,” said Stephen Estes-Margiassi, planning and sustainability director at MWRA.
The MWRA sends water to 51 cities, including Boston, and reaches approximately 2.2 million people and 5,500 industrial users, mostly in eastern Massachusetts.
The MWRA says their water is virtually unleaded when it leaves reservoirs en route to communities. Aqueducts, the large pipes that run water through every city, also don’t add lead to the water, the agency said. These lines are made of concrete, iron or steel.
In Massachusetts, the installation of lead utility lines – narrower pipes that connect the electrical network to individual properties – largely ceased to be installed in the 1940s, officials believe.
It is also possible that homes built before 1986 have lead solder in their indoor plumbing and that faucets made up to 2013 contain enough lead to contribute to increased lead levels in the water.
The MWRA estimates that only about 5 percent of the utilities that water is sent to are made of lead.
However, MWRA officials said their records may not be accurate. For example, their records only show about 100 lead service connections in Boston. But the Boston Water and Sewer Commission says there are roughly 3,500.
In recent years, steps have been taken to replace senior service lines. But there are obstacles. Replacing can be expensive for homeowners.
Joseph Wood, owner of Boston Standard Plumbing, said he changes about one lead service line every other month, compared to about two a month 15 years ago.
He said the average project costs between $ 3,500 and $ 5,000, but the city of Boston offers grants and funding that can make such a project more affordable for homeowners.
Lynn Thorp, national campaign director for Clean Water Action, said more should be done to replace the lines.
She said that the water utilities have not made the replacement a priority as there are no regulations that dictate it.
“We need water systems to inventory the lead service lines and create a comprehensive plan for how the lead service lines can be removed from their systems,” said Thorp.
She advised all residents to have their water tested.
Philippe Grandjean, a Harvard environmental health professor who has studied lead toxicity, said that while progress has been made in reducing lead levels in water nationwide, residents should remain cautious.
“That doesn’t mean we’re safe and we’ve done enough,” he said. “Every community in this country should be aware that there is a high probability that lead is present somewhere in the water system.”
Lead pipes are rare in buildings, but pipes made from other materials can be held together with lead solder (commonly used before 1986). Brass pipes, fittings, and faucets can also contain lead.
A simple but effective risk reduction measure: If the pipes have not been used for a long time, run cold water for 15 to 30 seconds to remove the build up of lead. Experts also advise avoiding the use of more caustic hot tap water.
For its part, MWRA is changing the chemistry of their water, a practice that began in 1996 to make it less corrosive and less likely to lead to lead in the water.
Lead poisoning can seriously damage the brain, kidneys, nervous system, and red blood cells, and potentially affect physical development and learning.
Small amounts of lead in adults are not considered harmful, but even low levels of lead can be dangerous to infants and children.
“If the lead causes brain damage, it will last for the rest of the child’s life,” Grandjean said. “You only have one chance to develop the brain.”
Lead poisoning can also be caused by exposure to lead in soil, paint, household dust, food, and certain types of ceramics, china, and pewter.
While there are standards for safe levels of lead in blood and drinking water, experts in recent years have emphasized that no level is truly safe.
In order to monitor the lead content in the water, the MWRA carries out tests in around 450 households in its system every year. Everyone must meet criteria that make it likely that they are high in lead.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that no more than 10 percent of samples contain lead levels greater than 15 parts per billion. Otherwise, corrective action will be prescribed. In 2015, only 2.3 percent of MWRA samples were above the threshold.
This is a dramatic decrease from when testing began in 1992. At that point, more than 40 percent of the samples had lead levels above the threshold.
Communities with at least one home that tested above standard in 2015 were: Boston, Malden, Melrose, Milton, Newton, Somerville, Stoneham, and Winthrop.
One house in Malden had lead levels of 584 parts per billion, by far the worst.
“While system-wide results have shown remarkable reductions, MWRA continues to emphasize that increased lead levels in every home deserve attention,” the agency wrote in a letter sent to local officials last month to allay fears about the Flint crisis.
Experts say that a scenario as bad as what developed in Flint is unlikely to occur elsewhere, as Flint’s problems were caused by a long list of unusual and avoidable mistakes.
Thorp said she hoped the Flint case would raise greater awareness of how water systems across the country still need to be improved.
“We tend to complain about a lot of drinking water problems because we have made so much progress in this country,” she said.
“We usually only react when a crisis is uncovered. We have to be much more proactive … and not just when a crisis is present.”
Read the MWRA letter
Matt Rocheleau can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @mrochele.
Comments are closed.