(Photo by Aqua Mechanical)

(Photo by Aqua Mechanical)

D.C. Water has finally finished construction on its first water tower in more than seven decades. The new tower, on the Saint Elizabeth campus in Southeast D.C., will help improve water pressure for 6,000 homes and businesses in some parts of Ward 8, which the agency says have historically experienced low water pressure.

Residents with low water pressure should see improvement starting on August 27 (D.C. Water originally handed out fliers stating the pressure would increase on August 6, but the timeline has since been delayed). But people in the affected area could also see water quality issues for months, which has been sparking some confusion on social media as residents express fears that there could be lead in their drinking water.

Complications can sometimes arise when water pressure is suddenly increased, especially in homes with older pipes—if your home has galvanized pipes (which are dull gray pipes made of iron, according to D.C. Water), it’s possible for the increased water pressure to knock iron and other metals loose, causing discoloration in the water.

It’s also possible for the increased water pressure to knock lead particles loose from service pipes, brass faucets, and galvanized iron pipes, according to the agency. D.C. Water has provided free water filter pitchers, and a six-month supply of replacement cartridges, to residents that have or used to have lead pipes servicing their homes as an “extreme precautionary measure,” says D.C. Water spokesperson Vincent Morris.

According to fact sheets handed out by the agency and shared with DCist, any water quality issues, including lead contamination, should clear up within a matter of months.

Morris told DCist that the agency has done outreach in Ward 8 to inform community members about the upcoming increase in water pressure and the potential for water quality issues, including via the company’s mailed newsletter, social media updates, and conversations with neighborhood ANCs. Still, over the weekend and on Monday morning, some residents took to social media to express confusion and frustration with talk about the water pressure increase and the possibility of lead in the water.

“The fact that I personally knew nothing about this, and no one seems to really know anything about this, it’s crazy,” says Nikki Peele, a Southeast resident and author of the Congress Heights on the Rise blog. Peele first found out about the water pressure increase and the potential for water quality issues on the Great Ward 8 Facebook page. A group member posted their notice from D.C. Water reminding residents to begin using their water filter pitchers beginning on August 6, just in case there are any water quality issues. “People are on that post asking questions, confused. Other people thought it was a scam,” Peele says.

Residents in the Facebook page appear to be concerned about lead contamination, a few even invoking Flint, Michigan.

In fact, lead contamination is only a major worry for people with older galvanized pipes and/or lead service pipes. Residents can call D.C. Water customer service to ask if their property has or ever had a lead service pipe at (202) 354-3600.

If any resident experiences discolored water, likely from iron or other metals released in their pipes, D.C. Water recommends flushing the plumbing until the water clears. You can turn all the cold water faucets on one at a time, from the lowest level of the house to the highest. Avoid doing laundry until the system has been flushed. For more info, see the agency’s fact sheet.

If you’re worried about lead contamination, you can request that D.C. Water perform a lead contamination test on your property. The water filter pitchers provided by the agency will filter out lead, and should be used for all drinking and cooking water, as well as to prepare baby formula.

D.C. Water also recommends that homeowners consider replacing old pipes, especially lead pipes, in their homes.

Morris says these potential water quality issues come with all water pressure increases; the agency put out similar advisories when it increased pressure in Ward 3 last year.

There is one other concern for residents in the parts of Ward 8 where water pressure will be increasing. In some places, the increase will put water pressure over 80 pounds per square inch, which is the limit by D.C. law before residents are required to obtain a pressure reducing valve. Such a valve can be installed on a property to help older pipes deal with the increased water pressure. Without it, the pressure could cause plumbing to go haywire.

D.C. Water installed about 1,000 pressure reducing valves to customers in the affected area free of charge, according to Morris. Any resident that did not consent to the PRV installation before May 1, 2017 didn’t get one. If you think you might need a PRV but didn’t get one from D.C. Water, you can call the agency’s customer service line to find out.

Ward 8 Properties That Require Pressure Reducing Valves by Natalie Delgadillo on Scribd

Previously:
Photos: D.C.’s First Water Tank In Seven Decades Rises In Southeast

This story has been updated with a new start date for the water pressure increase, as well as the number of homes and businesses in Ward 8 that will be affected.

Filed Under: congress heights, dc water, southeast, ward 8, water tank, water tower,