Hundreds sign up for lead pipe inspections

Since Port Washington’s water department sent thousands of letters to homeowners who may be receiving water through lead-tainted pipes, hundreds of people have called the utility to have their pipes inspected, Water Supt. Dan Fisher told the Board of Public Works recently.

Crews had already looked at more than 175 pipes, he said, and there are about 225 more appointments on the books, either to simply check out the residential pipes or replace the water meters.

When the meters are changed, department workers check to see what type of pipes serve the house, Fisher said.

He noted that the department has about 1,500 water meters to change yet in the city, adding that while that number seems large, crews changed about 900 meters in 2024.

“Hopefully by the end of 2026 we’ll be done with that,” he said.

Fisher said the letters sent by his department resulted in a flurry of interest and concern from residents.

“It was kind of a storm at first,” he said. “But if there are any questions, we want people to call.”

He said he’s encouraged that so many people are calling for appointments, noting they allow utility workers to check the so-called private side of the water services, the pipes leading from the street to the home, he said.

Of the letters sent out by the city, 1,170 were to the owners of properties where the water lines running from the street to the house may or may not contain lead or galvanized steel, while 186 went to houses where the city has confirmed there are lead or galvanized pipes.

Of the city’s 4,027 public service lines, it’s expected that as many as 700 of those could be lead, officials have said.

To determine if they have lead pipes, Fisher said, the city may have to hydrovac down to get a look at them.

There are about 309 streets where the type of water pipes are in question, he said.

While the city has been working toward eliminating the lead and galvanized pipes for some time, recent changes in federal and state regulations are pushing communities to move faster on those initiatives.

The city has two more years to determine which houses have lead service lines, and by 2037 the city must begin replacing them.

Lead in pipes is a concern because it can leach into the water, which is then ingested by people. Even low levels of exposure  have been linked to damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, shorter stature, impaired hearing and impaired formation and function of blood cells.

Fisher said that while the city is continuing its efforts to identify problem pipes, it is also working to come up with a replacement plan.

Part of that debate, he said, will include a discussion of whether the city will provide any funding to homeowners who need to replace their service lines, whether it be in the form of low or no-interest loans, offsetting a part of the cost or financing the full cost.

City Engineer Roger Strohm noted that the department also will be working in the next six months to determine potential ordinance changes that need to be made to facilitate the remediation program.

There may be some Department of Natural Resources funding available to communities down the line, Strohm said, adding, “We want to get in line for that so we need to make decisions sooner rather than later.”