News

Water Utility Alerting Cincinnati Customers About Lead Pipes

By:
Posted on:

< < Back to water-utility-alerting-cincinnati-customers-about-lead-pipes

CINCINNATI (AP) – Thousands of customers of a Cincinnati-area water utility are being alerted that some city-owned water lines are made out of lead.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that some Greater Cincinnati Water Works customers are getting letters informing them about the lead pipes. The Cincinnati City Council’s Economic Growth and Infrastructure Committee voted last week to send letters to about 16,000 homeowners.

Councilman Christopher Smitherman had pushed for that notification following the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

Utility data show about 17 percent of Cincinnati’s service lines that lead to homes are made of lead. It was a popular building material when early systems were constructed.

Removing those pipes can cost thousands of dollars per property. The utility and the homeowner would split the cost.