DC WASA Lead Service Line Replacement Program

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DC WASA Lead Service Line

Replacement Program

DC WASA Lead Service Line

Replacement Program

Program Review and Future Direction

February 5, 2008

Jerry N. Johnson

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Meeting format

Introductions

Purpose

Presentation (WASA staff)

Question and Answer session (hold

questions until after the presentation: index cards)

After-presentation follow up

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Why are we here today?

From 2002 to 2004, Washington, DC

experienced elevations in lead in drinking water that exceeded the EPA “action level” in many District homes.

The situation was corrected with a change in the treatment process and lead levels are no longer high.

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Why are we here today?

Today, District drinking water meets federal

regulations, although careful monitoring of lead levels is still

required.

The WASA Board is beginning its regular review of the Lead Service Replacement

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Current LSR program

WASA is voluntarily replacing all known public lead service lines throughout the District.

A service line is the pipe that carries water from the main in the street to the house.

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What happened?

In 2000, the Washington Aqueduct,

WASA’s partner in supplying drinking water, changed the disinfectant in the treatment process.

This was in response to EPA regulations and drinking water standards limiting disinfection by products.

Water chemistry changed, and lead from lead service lines and household plumbing

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What happened?

The EPA governs lead in drinking water by a regulation called the “Lead and

Copper Rule” (LCR).

When the level of lead in water rises above the defined “action level”, the LCR requires:

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Public notification

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An adjustment in the drinking water treatment process to reduce the

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What happened next?

WASA committed itself to a faster

replacement program than LCR required.

The WASA Board reviews the program every two years.

In 2004, orthophosphate was added to the water treatment process to reduce lead leaching from lead pipes.

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What have we learned?

Four years of the program, with almost half the known public lead lines replaced, has taught us a few things:

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The water chemistry change worked.

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There is no lead in the water coming from the main in the street.

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What have we learned?

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Replacement of only the public side of a lead service line (that is, a “partial

replacement”) is much less effective in reducing lead levels than a “full

replacement.”

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Only a small percentage of homeowners have chosen to replace their private-side portion of the lines.

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What has been done to encourage

homeowners to participate?

What has been done to encourage

WASA will replace the private portion of the lead service line at the property owner’s cost, which varies, at the same time the

public portion is removed.

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What has been done to encourage

WASA has a community outreach program that educates the public about the process and financial assistance programs.

WASA has arranged for low-cost bank loans to homeowners or installment payments on the WASA bill.

DC DHCD has made grants available, if homeowner qualifies for assistance.

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Some numbers

In 2006, it was estimated that there were 35,000 lead service lines in public space.

As of 12/31/07, WASA had replaced 14,620 public lead services:

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2,128 services were replaced with private participation.

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3,408 were determined to be non-lead in private space.

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What does this cost?

The Board committed WASA to an

accelerated LSR program (finish by 2016).

$93 million has been spent to date on lead service line replacement.

$315 million is earmarked between now and 2016 (total LSR cost $408 million).

Other water/sewer system improvement projects have been shifted to future.

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LSR – where we are now?

DC drinking water meets federal drinking water standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Tap water lead levels have been below EPA “action level” for the last three years.

Replacement of lead service lines under LCR is no longer required.

The Board will continue to replace public lead lines and is examining options to the current

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What does this mean

for health?

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Why do we worry

about lead?

Why do we worry

about lead?

Small amounts of it can affect the brain in children, resulting in learning and

behavioral problems.

The biggest source of exposure is lead paint.

There is no safe level, so we want to reduce exposure as low as possible.

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Health impact of lead in

2002-2004

Health impact of lead in

2002-2004

No evidence of an adverse effect in that period, although lead levels in water were increased for a period.

This is probably because:

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Water is a small source of exposure.

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WASA (and EPA) made specific

recommendations to reduce exposure.

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What does this mean for

health now?

What does this mean for

health now?

Lead in water is kept low because of orthophosphate.

In the long term, replacement of lead services is desirable to keep lead out of the environment.

Partial replacement, however, is not as effective as we would want.

Removal of lead services no longer requires an accelerated schedule.

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Lead exposure in the future

Overall, there is no significant lead in the source water or after treatment.

Lead in drinking water comes from lead service lines, lead solder, and lead fixtures in older

houses.

Lead in District drinking water is successfully controlled by orthophosphate.

Lead levels in water will continue to be carefully monitored and controlled.

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How water quality monitoring

works for lead

How water quality monitoring

works for lead

Federal rules for

lead monitoring are different from other contaminants in

drinking water.

This is because lead

comes from lead service pipes and internal plumbing, not from the water distribution system.

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How water quality monitoring

works for lead

WASA samples at least 100 homes every

six months for Lead and Copper Rule compliance.

Customer participates in a voluntary sampling program.

Water must not be used for at least 6 hours before collecting samples.

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How water quality monitoring

works for lead

EPA requires that 90% of homes

sampled have lead levels at or below 15 parts per billion (ppb) in first-draw tap water tests (the “action level”). The action level is not an exposure

level for humans or a health standard.

Compliance sampling helps validate the water treatment process and whether water chemistry is reducing lead

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Water quality trends

Action level was exceeded from late 2001 through

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Lead reduction from service line

replacement program

Lead reduction from service line

replacement program

Minimal national research available showing

effects of partial lead service line replacements.

WASA participated in a national study

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Studied individual homes before and after replacements

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Analyzed over 100 samples per home

WASA also reviewed compliance data for before and after effects of partial lead line

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Lead reduction from partial LSRs

LCR compliance data (12 home subset)

Lead reduction from partial LSRs

LCR compliance data (12 home subset)

Data are from 1st

and 2nd draw samples

“After” samples taken >2 months after replacement

Change in lead varies between homes I 9 3 12 H 3 1 4 G 4 3 7 F 0 0 5 5 E 2 4 2 D 1 7 6 C 131 137 6 B 17 15 32 A Increase Decrease After Before

Average Lead Level (ppb) Home

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Short-term changes in lead

following partial replacements

Short-term changes in lead

following partial replacements

Customer can experience short-term high levels of lead after partial replacements.

This is typically caused by lead shavings after the service line is cut.

WASA’s contractors and the customers flush the line to remove lead shavings.

Flushing information after replacement is provided.

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Lead reduction

Partial replacements reduce lead in most

homes, however the reduction amount varies.

Short-term increases in lead occur following replacements.

Full replacements are more effective in reducing lead than partial replacements.

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WASA continues to study lead

Currently conducting individual home studies

Monitor lead pipe loops

Participate in national research

Monitor beyond EPA’s regulations:

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Higher frequency

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Pipe Loop 1 Final (Control Loop): 5/1/06-Current 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 /06 /06 /06 /06 /06 /06 /06 /06 /06 /06 /06 /06 /06 /06 /06 /06 /06 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /07 /08 /08 /08 /08 /08 /08 Le a d C o nc e n tr a ti o n [ p pb ] 3.5 - 4.0 mg/L Chloramines 2.5 mg/L Orthophosphate Action Level = 15 ppb 1-day super chlorination Pipeloop rec onstruction 3.5 mg/l Free Chl ori ne 2.5 mg/L Orthophosphate 3.5 - 4.0 mg/L Chloramines 2.5 mg/L Orthophosphate

Pipe loop study

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Some examples of LSR

program approaches

Some examples of LSR

program approaches

Continue current accelerated program

Replace as District Department of

Transportation (DDOT) repaves streets

Replace along with WASA water system infrastructure improvements

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Additional information

WASA LSR information line: (202) 787-2732

WASA Water Quality: (202) 612-3440

E-mail: [email protected]

WASA website: www.dcwasa.com

EPA Safe Drinking Water hotline: (800) 426-4791

EPA Lead in Drinking Water report: www.epa.gov/dclead/