Given the health risk posed by exposure to lead pipes, DC Water announced that it can partially or completely pay for the replacement of these pipes.
At least 20,000 homes in the capital have pipes with this metal that can cause permanent damage to the brain and nervous system.
According to Jon Bendana, community coordinator for DC Water, the goal is to replace all lead pipes in the city by 2030.
“80% of the Latino community is affected. There are some who have the newest house and have already changed it, but many do not check the service tube that comes to the house,” he explained.
For her part, the pediatrician at Mary’s Center indicated that children and pregnant women are the population at greatest risk in this case.
“It’s a mineral that binds to brain cells, so it affects it in a pretty big way. And if it is not discovered early, the consequences can be for a lifetime,” said María Luisa Márquez.
Bendana detailed the various programs that DC Water offers to help residents replace pipes.
“The first program is voluntary. The owner pays all the service, there is another program in which they give him a discount. It can be free or I would pay 50% and the last program I work on leaves everything free. You just need to sign the paper,” she stressed.
The process is fairly quick, according to the agency’s community coordinator. In a matter of 4 to 8 hours, they can replace the lead pipes with copper ones.
“We make the holes where the water is connected to the main pipe that connects the water to all the houses. We also make a hole in the water meter where usually the private side meets the public side and we make one more hole in the garden where we can verify that the pipes are lead or copper”, he concluded.
For details, you can contact the entity at (202) 354-3600.
