Confusion over lead letters sent by water departments, including Philadelphia

ByHeather Grubola and Nydia Han WPVI logo
Thursday, January 16, 2025
Confusion over lead letters sent by water departments
Confusion over lead letters sent by water departments, including Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- You may have received a letter about the possibility of lead in your water service lines. Philadelphia alone mailed out about half a million letters, causing some consumers to be concerned.

The Action News Troubleshooters started asking the spokesperson for the Philadelphia Water Department about the letters early last month and finally this week, we got some answers.

"I think one of the first things to understand is that this is a national effort where everybody across the country got similar letters to this," said Brian Rademaekers of the Philadelphia Water Department.

New federal laws require water utilities to notify residents about possible lead in their service lines. Those are the pipes you own that carry water from a city main into your home.

"And it's part of the federal plan to basically identify where all lead pipes could be so we can find them and remove them," said Rademaekers.

In Philadelphia, water is pumped from the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers and then treated to remove impurities and help protect pipes from corroding.

"In Philadelphia, there's no lead in our water before it gets to your house," said Rademaekers.

But about 5 percent of Philadelphia homes have lead pipes so you should still take precautions.

So flush your pipes by running the cold tap for at least three minutes every day after water's been sitting in your plumbing for six hours or more.

Only use cold water for cooking, drinking, and preparing baby formula.

And use a filter certified for lead reduction by the National Sanitation Foundation.

And remember boiling water does not remove lead.

Another tip is to replace your faucet aerator annually and clean it twice a year.

Now if you have lead pipes, the Philadelphia Water Department will test your water for you and while replacing them is your responsibility, you can apply for a zero-interest loan to cover the cost.

The Philadelphia Water Department has created a map that shows pipe materials for each property. Just plug in your address to see if there could be a concern in your home.

The city's goal is to remove all lead pipes over the next 10 years.

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