Protecting Your Family From Impacts of Lead Pipes in New Orleans
New Orleans’ families deserve a lead-free water system. Removing lead pipes across the community is our long-term goal, and we are investing in a multi-year program to get us there, while further protecting public health today.
Lead Pipes and Drinking Water
The water that leaves our treatment plants is lead-free.
As a drinking water agency committed to public health, SWBNO recognizes the risk lead can present to our customers. There is no detectable lead in the water that leaves our treatment plants; however, lead can enter drinking water through lead pipes and fixtures in plumbing.
We know that lead pipes exist on both the customer-owned and utility-owned sides of the water system. Lead was a commonly used material for years before health impacts were known and it was banned in plumbing. That’s why we have been aggressively confronting this challenge for years.
Our approach includes two primary efforts
The first is a practice called “corrosion control.” We aim to minimize the tendency for lead to dissolve into water from pipes. This step is taken at the water treatment plant before water ever enters the system.
The second is the ongoing testing of water in homes and other locations across the system. This testing, done in compliance with state and federal regulations, is confirmation that corrosion control is working. We also test water samples from taps in homes and buildings that are at high risk of lead or copper contamination, following guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Steps You Can Take NOW to Protect Your Family
We have reduced the number of lead pipes on the utility-owned side of the water system where possible over the years. However, completely eliminating lead pipes across the entire community – including private property – will take a well-considered plan over the next 25 years. We will also need major funding support from federal and state sources.
The good news is you can act today to protect your family by following some simple steps:
- Use only cold water for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula.
- When water hasn’t been used for six hours or longer, run the faucet for three to five minutes to flush the lines before drinking or cooking with the water. Household tasks like showering or running the dishwasher can also help flush the system.
- Request a lead test kit by contacting SWBNO’s Lab at (504) 865-0420 or click here to use our online request form.
- Request to pick up a water pitcher that filters for lead by calling 52-WATER or click here to use our online request form..
- Use a filter that meets NSF Standard 53 as a recommended practice to help protect you and your family.
- If you have a lead service line on your property, replace it. SWBNO can coordinate to replace the public side of the lead line at the same time.
- Review the latest SWBNO Consumer Confidence Report for more ideas.
Federal Regulations and Lead
Lead was commonly used in plumbing in communities across the country for decades, long before the serious health effects of exposure to it were known.
In 1986, the federal Safe Drinking Water Act was amended to ban the use of lead in plumbing used for human consumption. However, if your home was constructed or if the plumbing was replaced prior to 1986, lead lines and fixtures may exist. It may also be present in the SWBNO-owned service lines leading to your meter.
To address impacts of lead pipes in structures built before 1986, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency enacted the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) in 1991. It established steps utilities across the country, including SWBNO, must take to reduce lead exposure for local communities. The LCR has been revised several times since 1991, and SWBNO is currently working to comply with the latest revisions meant to add even more protections for you and your family.
Creating an Inventory of Lead Pipes
Like many older cities where lead pipes were commonly used, New Orleans has plumbing with lead pipes and fixtures across the water system. However, no map or list of lead service lines currently exists. That’s because many lead pipes exist on private property (the customer-owned side of the water system), and parts of SWBNO’s system are more than 100 years old.
Inventory Distribution Map Coming Soon.
The revised LCR requires water systems to locate lead service lines and create a map-based inventory. SWBNO is working in partnership with BlueConduit on an inventory that will be submitted to state and federal regulators by October 16, 2024. This inventory map will also be on the SWBNO website, and the community will be notified when it is available.
Much More to be Done
There is much work to do, but together we can keep our communities safe!
The LCR revisions are complex. In addition to the inventory, there is much work to do over the next few years to be compliant. SWBNO has a dedicated team focused on every aspect of the regulation, including ensuring that the community is kept informed.
Want to Know More?
Look for updates soon on how to sign up to receive ongoing information on our progress.
For More Information
- Contact us at 52-WATER
- Check for upcoming community meetings and neighborhood discussions, as well as opportunities to sign up for updates.
