The lead pipes that deliver water to thousands of Indianapolis homes aren’t an active danger, but rather “like a ticking time bomb,” according to a local scientist who has studied sources of lead exposure in the city.
“When it’s ticking, no one needs to worry,” said Gabriel Filippelli, director of the Center for Urban Health and a professor at IUPUI.
But it’s the catastrophic events, such as those that occurred in Flint, Michigan, in 2014 and Washington, D.C., in 2001, that put residents at risk. In both cases, failures to control the corrosivity of the water caused lead from the pipes to enter the water supply and reach people in their homes.
Indianapolis has those same lurking hazards. Now a proposal by the federal government would aim to eliminate any chance of such crises.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced last month a proposal to require the replacement within 10 years of all lead services lines, which are the pipes that connect homes and businesses to the main water system. If implemented, the new rule would mean Citizens Energy Group, the utility that manages Indianapolis’ water system, would need to replace the lines at as many as 55,000 to 75,000 properties in Marion County within the next decade.
Lead is a neurotoxin that, when consumed, can cause serious health effects, especially in children. Exposure to even low levels of lead can damage a child’s brain and kidneys and lead to cognitive and behavioral problems. In adults, lead exposure can impact blood pressure, memory and digestive systems. No level of lead exposure is safe, according to the EPA.
Lead pipes present in older properties
Lead service lines are most likely to be found on properties in the center of the city that were developed before 1950, said Benjamin Easley, spokesman for Citizens.
At the time, lead plumbing was commonly used in buildings. As recently as the 1980s, builders still used lead solder in copper plumbing.
There’s no lead in the water that leaves Citizens’ treatment plant or its water mains. But trace amounts of the heavy metal may leach into the water when it travels through the service lines.
Easley said in an email that the utility is closely watching the EPA’s proposed rule, especially for technical and funding assistance. Replacing all lead service lines in Indianapolis is estimated to cost nearly $500 million, and Easley said Citizens is looking for ways to fund the project without passing the entire cost onto customers.
“The fact that funding is part of the conversation around the EPA’s proposal seems to indicate federal officials understand that extra resources for utility providers may be needed to support a 10-year replacement deadline,” he said.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021, provided $15 billion specifically for lead service line replacement, and an additional $11.7 billion that states can tap for lead pipe replacement.
In Indianapolis, Citizens has replaced more than 500 lead service lines since initiating its own replacement program in 2022. Replacements have been recently completed on the near north, south and east sides, as well as in Riverside. Additional replacements are underway on the near east side as well as in Fountain Square and Mapleton-Fall Creek.
Part of the challenge of replacing lead service lines is locating them.
“Since service lines are owned by property owners and we do not have data on each one, we must go through the process of identifying materials on a house-by-house basis,” Easley said.
A team at Citizens is combining what records that do exist with predictive analysis and in-person visits to create an inventory of lead service lines. The utility will be required to submit a list to the EPA by next fall.
Lead in water, but not from pipes
Thousands of lead pipes continue to deliver water to Indianapolis homes. But Filippelli, the IUPUI scientist, said he has faith that Citizens is doing what it needs to thanks to the “insight into how mismanagement has occurred in the past.”
He added, however, that there’s not a small number of homes that have water coming out of their taps with lead levels that exceed the EPA’s limits. Most of that contamination, though, comes not from the service lines but from fixtures such as faucets.
For residents who are concerned about lead in their water, Filippelli recommends using a water filter or flushing taps used for drinking or cooking for 30 seconds before the first use of the day. Residents can get their water tested by the Marion County Health Department, according to the department’s website.
The EPA is currently accepting public comment on the proposed rule and will hold a virtual public meeting on Jan. 16. The agency said it will consider all input and expects the rule will be finalized by next fall.
Mirror Indy reporter Emily Hopkins uses data to write stories about people. Contact them at 317-790-5268 or emily.hopkins@mirrorindy.org. Follow them on most social media @indyemapolis.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
