Fort Worth warns thousands of homeowners about pipes with higher risk of lead contamination
Over the next few weeks, some Fort Worth residents will receive a notice from the city's water utility regarding galvanized service lines . While the existence of galvanized pipes doesn't necessarily indicate the presence of lead in a household's water, city staff are urging residents to replace these pipelines.
Under the Environmental Protection Agency's revised Lead and Copper Rule, Fort Worth's water utility department is required to create an inventory that officially identifies private property service lines in three classifications: lead; galvanized requiring replacement; or unknown.
Galvanized pipes are made out of iron or steel that have been dipped in a zinc coating to prevent corrosion and rust. Commonly seen in homes built in the 1950s and 1960s, small amounts of lead have been found in the zinc coating of galvanized pipes before 2014, according to the Environmental Policy Innovation Center.
Galvanized lines are an issue because the material is prone to corrosion, which means they could have trapped or absorbed lead from utility lines that were ever classified as lead-present, according to water department spokesperson Mary Gugliuzza.
About 32,590 service lines on residential properties in Fort Worth were classified as galvanized. The city operates 300,000 connections of water. Only the portion of the service line on the residents' property is galvanized pipe.
Customers with galvanized-classified service lines can expect to receive one of two galvanized pipeline notices. This is because out of the 32,590 service lines on private property, the city has confirmed 361 locations where lead existed at one time on the city-owned portion of the water service line. Because the water department cannot prove the city-owned portion never contained lead in the vast majority of locations, these service lines must be classified as galvanized requiring replacement.
As for the remaining 32,229 lines out of the 32,590 total galvanized-classified lines, it is unknown if lead ever existed, according to Gugliuzza.
Residents shouldn't panic, said Gugliuzza.
"The important thing for customers to know is that lead is not in the water when it leaves the treatment plant," said Gugliuzza.
Even when property service lines are replaced, lead could be detected in water supplies due to plumbing parts or materials found inside homes.
"Everybody thinks their faucets are chrome, but underneath that chrome is brass," said Gugliuzza.
Want to know if your home's water line is classified as galvanized?
Residents can search their address in Fort Worth's service line inventory map here . Fort Worth's water department is mailing notices to all people served at locations with service lines classified as lead or galvanized requiring replacement.
The EPA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that there is no known safe level of lead in a child's blood and that even low levels of lead in kids can result in lower IQ, hyperactivity, behavior problems, slowed growth, hearing issues and anemia.
Lead enters drinking water through corrosion , a chemical reaction where plumbing materials dissolve into the water. That reaction depends on the acidity and mineral deposits in the water. The materials containing lead have to be in contact with water for an extended period of time in order for lead to seep into the supply, according to Gugliuzza.
Because of this, residents are recommended to run their faucets for a few minutes to bring fresh water into the home's supply.
"Having a galvanized service line doesn't necessarily mean they will have high lead levels," said Gugliuzza. "And not having a galvanized service line doesn't mean you may not have lead components in your home."
The number of galvanized pipelines in the city's inventory should only decrease as the water department continues investigating service lines, said Gugliuzza. The city is also seeking federal and state funding to replace the city's portion of the service lines where lead once existed. The EPA denied the city's $10 million grant application in 2022 that would have covered 100% of the costs to replace private service lines and galvanized pipes without impacting customer water rates, according to previous Report coverage .
Residents can contest the city's findings of their property's water line, including those who have already replaced their pipes.
Homeowners can fill out a form online where the city's service line findings can be disputed, and the water utility should send staff out to reinvestigate the state of their service lines within 60 days. Residents can also request a free lead test kit by filling out a form online or contacting the water department's customer service line at 817-392-4477.
