Oklahoma's Own In Focus: Explaining The Letters About Lead Pipes And How To Check If Your Home Is Safe

Many Oklahomans are getting letters in the mail that notify people they may have lead in their pipes.

It's part of an updated Environmental Protection Agency rule that went into effect last month.

The rule requires every water utility to take an inventory of all water service lines and identify if there are any lead pipes.

But water utility companies don't have records to determine whether any of their lines have lead, so they are required to notify property owners that it could be a possibility.

For those who receive the letters, it can be alarming.

Some people in Nowata are worried after receiving those letters. The city says these are standard letters and were also sent to people in other cities, but that didn’t make people feel any less alarmed.

Kelsey Dobson has lived in Nowata her whole life and says this isn’t the first time they’ve been worried about the water.

“There is a problem and we haven’t seen much solution as citizens, we haven’t heard anything about new lines,” said Dobson. “Every month we get a water main break and we know that our system is failing.”

The city sent a letter last week saying homes have service lines of unknown materials and even though it’s unlikely, it could contain lead.

"Getting a letter in the mail that says we may have lead pipes and the city isn't aware of whether or not we do was very scary,” said Dobson.

The city told people what to look for and showed pictures and gave descriptions of lead, iron, copper, and plastic pipes.

“It’s got pictures of how to identify your service line,” said Dobson. “I would say most homeowners probably don’t know where their service line is or how to begin with that.”

The letter also says people will have to replace their pipes if there is lead in them.

“Oh so we will have to replace it if it is,” said Dobson. “The city won’t do it, it’s our responsibility.”

The City of Nowata sent News On 6 this statement:

“The City of Nowata, along with other public water systems, has participated in the Lead Service Line Inventory for Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. This inventory was taking place the same time that we were upgrading our water meters. During installation of the new meters, the contractor would note the material of the service line on our side of the meter and on the customer side of the meter to the best of their ability. That information was used to complete the Lead Line Service Inventory to be returned to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. We then sent out letters to all of our customers with an unknown service line type. This is the letter that residents received in the mail. We also included an information sheet on how the resident could determine what their specific service line material was. I have attached a copy of both of these for your reference. Both of the documents include email addresses for further information. All public water systems had to send letters to consumers whose service line type was unknown. Citizens may call City Hall and inform us of their service line material and we will update the inventory. As always, citizens are welcome to call with questions. “

Dobson says it is still scaring people in town who don’t understand what the letter is saying.

"It’s scary to see that your house, whether or not you bought it or when you bought it, could have lead pipes and you could be getting that to your family,” said Dobson.

The city also says if anyone is confused about the letter, they can call the city and ask questions.

For more information on lead service lines from the EPA CLICK HERE. Broken Arrow has also created an inventory of water service lines with an interactive database.

Protect your family from lead in drinking water: Learn how to check for lead service lines, reduce exposure, and get your water tested.