Tag Archives: aging infrastructure

Infrastructure

Lead in Seattle Water

Seattle Public Utilities asked residents to run their water for two minutes before drinking over concerns of lead exposure.

SPU is testing water that MAY have their supply line connection to the house service line using gooseneck fitting. As of Friday, SPU estimates 2,000 older homes may have this gooseneck fitting, with Tacoma estimated at 1,700. Both Utilities have been testing and mapping throughout the weekend.

It shows a "gooseneck" lead fitting that connected galvanized steel pipe to the main water line in older homes.
It shows a “gooseneck” lead fitting that connected galvanized steel pipe to the main water line in older homes.

This gooseneck lead fitting is the sort connecting water mains to pipes leading into older homes. In Seattle, it’s typically in homes built before 1930, and only some of those. (Chris Gleason/Tacoma Public Utilities)

According to SPU, “Seattle drinking water sources do not contain lead. However, lead can leach into water from plumbing and materials built with lead-based solder, brass fixtures, or some types of zinc coatings used on galvanized pipes and fittings.”

NSF/ANSI 372 has an updated definition of the “no lead” ruling allowing a weighted average of 0.25 % lead in fittings, pipe, and solder – a far cry from 8.0% in the past. Galvanized pipe and plumbing has not been used for potable water supplies for decades. However, copper plumbing and its solder was not held to the above standards until January 2014. Copper plumbing or brass fittings used before this standard may cause an elevated level of contamination above the allowed EPA drinking water standards for lead. You can have your water tested for levels from a certified lab in your area; a list of certified labs can be obtained by the Department of Ecology.

RainBank’s’ post Is Decentralized Water and Sewer Systems the Answer to Puget Sound Region’s Infrastructure, dated July 2014, talks about the effects of this growth, demand and aging infrastructure and how it will impact our water and sewer systems economically.

As time will tell, more concerns will arise with our centralized water system. Costs to upgrade, renovate and repair will be high. Rainwater collection as a source of domestic water will become more mainstream – as already seen in Seattle and other cities throughout the US in the past few years. Proper filtration and plumbing techniques can be implemented for the homeowner to protect a household from lead leaching because older materials were used in the past. RainBank Rainwater Systems designs these systems for both those who wish to collect rainwater for domestic use and those who remain dependent on city water supplies.

Infrastructure, Sustainability

A Precious Resource – Think Twice About Wasting Water

fountain-352251_640So many of us may have become complacent about the water that has seemingly so easily flowed through our faucets and garden hoses. In the United States, drought and aging infrastructure served as not so gentle reminders that clean, safe water does not flow freely if we don’t take steps to preserve this precious resource. Flint, MI has poisoned its citizens with lead, which has lead to increased testing – and lead and other toxins are being found in public systems countrywide. In other parts of the world, clean, safe, flowing water is a luxury, which many do not have.

We commemorated World Water Day this week. Life cannot be sustained without water; as such, we believe it is a basic human right. According to UNWater.org, ‘World Water Day is an international observance and an opportunity to learn more about water related issues, be inspired to tell others and take action to make a difference.”

The theme for this years’ World Water Day was water and jobs, and putting a spotlight on how quality and quantity of water can change lives and livelihoods – and even transform societies and economies.

Think about it –installing a small rainwater system for a home or business can vastly improve the lives of residents, employees, families – but also the overall public by reducing loads on public systems. Private systems can still be connected to city or well water, which would be used as backup to rainwater systems, if and when necessary.

But enough about us, we really wanted to share some amazing photos, that will make you think twice about wasting water. The extraordinary shots document how folks around the world access water. We encourage you to take a look, and then think about how we may be heading in this direction if we don’t start thinking about how we can better manage our access to safe and clean water – and the hazards that threaten our aging public systems.

Infrastructure

Flint Water Crisis and Financial Stress for US Water Utilities

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poison-159083_640From Washington state to New York, from Michigan to Louisiana – if you think the Flint poisoned water crisis doesn’t affect you and your family, think again.

We’ve been writing about the issues surrounding our aging infrastructure since starting this blog two years ago. Our post from June 2014 outlines how much it would cost to upgrade our aging public water systems.

A recent article in USA Today, Flint Water Crisis Could Cost U.S. $300 Billion, explores the broader financial consequences to Flint’s drinking water crisis, which may compel regulators and water suppliers to spend more than a quarter-trillion dollars on infrastructure upgrades sooner than originally expected.

Fitch Ratings Inc., one of the three nationally recognized statistical rating organizations designated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is quoted as saying, “We believe the capital costs to replace these lines could exceed $275 billion”. According to the article, “more than 6 million lead service lines exist across the country, according to estimates cited by Fitch. Many of these are located in the Northeast, Midwest and older urban areas.”

More from Fitch: if costs are spread over a sufficient amount of time, they could be manageable. But, if those changes need to be executed sooner, it could cause financial stress for some water utilities.

Add to these costs, lawsuits filed in the wake of the Flint water crisis, we can reasonably expect increases to be passed on to consumers to cover upgrades and damages.

Lawsuits have already been filed in local, state and federal courts on behalf of Flint residents who drank lead-tainted water for nearly two years. The complaints name a long list of state and local agencies and officials, from Gov. Rick Snyder to Flint city employees, with charges ranging from civil to criminal, and including pipe replacement as well as long-term medical monitoring and health care.

All of this could accelerate changes to EPA drinking water regulations as they relate to lead. According to Fitch, “In light of these lawsuits and the heightened public focus on possible lead contamination, Fitch expects any proposed rule revisions will likely move the industry toward removing all lead service lines,” the rating agency said Friday. “Reprioritizing and accelerating lead pipe replacement would add significant additional capital needs to the sector and could compete with other critical infrastructure projects, including developing sufficient long-term water supplies and replacing aging infrastructure components other than lead lines.”

Flint is just one city in our large nation. Think about how this could affect your family – it is a health and financial issue for all of us to get behind. It can happen anywhere and likely already is.