![]() “Through this program, we're trying to remove the barrier of cost.” "Some of the neighborhoods in greatest need of lead-line replacement are struggling with income inequality, as well,” Moening said. While the issue is common throughout Cincinnati, many of the older neighborhoods where the problem exists also have large pockets of residents facing financial hardships.Įxamples of neighborhoods with large concentrations of lead service lines include Over-the-Rhine, Northside, Westwood and the Price Hill neighborhoods. "We met with community leaders in all of Cincinnati's 52 neighborhoods and one of the things that we determined was for this program to be effective, we needed to make it affordable," Moening said.Ī graphic outlining the ownership of lead service lines (provided)Ĭost-sharing is an essential part of GCWW’s program. The program provides educational outreach to alert customers of potential risks and offers cost-sharing to assist with the replacement. That's why Water Works launched its Enhanced Lead Service Line Replacement Program in early 2016. The report says that as of last year, up to 22 million Americans still cooked with and drank tap water from lead pipes.Ĭincinnati stopped using lead in its service lines in 1927, yet there are still tens of thousands of homes and businesses across the city with service lines made of lead, per GCWW.įilters can help protect against water contamination, but the most effective solution is replacing the lead pipes. At that time, there were nearly 10.2 million lead service lines, according to an American Public Media article. It's especially dangerous to the growth and mental development of children aged 6 and younger but may also cause ailments in adults, like high blood pressure and kidney disease.Ĭongress banned the installation of lead pipes in 1986. Service lines are the small pipes that connect houses and businesses to a water main that runs below the street.ĭuring the second half of the 20th Century, it was discovered lead was harmful. The city has about 40,000 lead service lines still in operation, and GCWW is working to remove every last one of them.įor decades, Water Works – like other water utilities across the nation – built its service lines using lead. Jorgensen and her husband signed a contract with Water Works the next day, and the line was replaced within a week and a half.Īlthough the Jorgensens’ quick turnaround was unique given the emergency need for repairs, Water Works tries to get most replacements completed within a couple of months, said Leslie Moening, GCWW’s lead program manager.Ĭincinnati is an old city and some pipes and service lines in its water system are more than 200 years old. They also left literature about lead and why replacing the service line was important. So, just let the plumbers know we’re going to take care of this.'”Ī Water Works employee stopped by that same day she placed the call to drop off filters. “They said, 'Hey, we can get you in right away because this is an emergency. But about 15 minutes after I made the call, I got a call back from someone at Water Works,” Jorgensen said. ![]() “I was feeling pretty hopeless at that point, and I didn’t know what we were going to do. That’s when Susan Jorgensen did some research online and discovered Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) offered a cost-sharing program to handle that exact situation. The Jorgensens feared the cost to replace the pipe would be too expensive. That's when they discovered the pipes were made of lead. “It’s not something we were actively thinking about before it came up in an emergency way."Ī private contractor doing plumbing work at the home accidentally hit the property's water line. She said that it might have been listed in real estate documentation, but it wasn't something they were aware of. ![]() Susan Jorgensen said she had no idea their home had a lead service line. The Jorgensen's home in College Hill (Provided) ![]()
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