Lead Service Advisory

Help us protect you from lead! Please take this Water Service Line Self-Identification Survey to give both you and the City a fuller picture of our service line inventory.

In compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) revised Lead and Copper Rule   , the City of Petersburg's Department of Public Utilities is researching historical records of water service line materials, performing excavations to visually verify water service lines materials, and developing a water service line material inventory and map .

Homes built before 1988 have a higher potential for having lead in private water service lines, internal plumbing materials, and faucets. 

If present, elevated levels of lead can present serious health concerns for people of all ages, particularly infants, young children, and pregnant women.

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Here's how citizens can determine if lead pipes are present in their home

While the City is undergoing its own efforts to determine its service-line inventory, here are two ways that you and other residents of the City can contribute to this process and protect their friends and loved ones:

  • Scratch an exposed metal pipe in your home with a key or coin. If the color revealed is orange, it is a copper pipe. If it's dull gray and a magnet sticks to it, it's a galvanized steel pipe. If it's gray but shines brightly and a magnet does NOT stick to it, it is a lead pipe.
  • Test your water for lead by purchasing an at-home drinking water test kit, available online and at most hardware stores.

If you have used either of these methods and the results suggest the presence of a lead service line, please contact Project Coordinator Hall Wingfield at 804-835-0928 and report your results

Here's How To Protect Yourself From Lead Exposure

Ultimately, the best way to protect your occupants is by removing all potential sources of lead. The water's chemistry is adjusted at the treatment plant to minimize the possibility of lead dissolving into the water, but if you have reason to believe your water has high lead content there are additional steps you can take to minimize potential exposure:

  • Use a filter – Several types of inexpensive water filters are effective at removing lead. Before purchasing, look for a certification from the NSF International that verifies the filter's ability to remove lead. It will usually be found on the packaging.
  • Run the tap before use – Lead levels are likely at their highest when water has been sitting in the pipe for several hours. Clear this water from your pipes by running the cold water for several minutes, which allows you to draw fresh water from the main.
  • Use cold water for cooking – Always cook and prepare baby formula with cold water, because hot water dissolves lead more quickly, potentially resulting in higher levels in water.
  • Clean aerators – Aerators are small screens at the tips of faucets which regulate the flow of water. It's a good idea to remove your aerators monthly and clean them out.


Spanish

Where is lead found?

Lead can be found everywhere in the environment – the air, soil, water, and even inside our homes. Much of our exposure comes from human activities, such as the use of fossil fuels, including the former use of leaded gasoline, some types of industrial facilities, and the former use of lead-based paint in homes. Lead and lead compounds have been used in a wide variety of products found in and around our homes, including paint, ceramics, pipes and plumbing materials, solder, gasoline, batteries, ammunition, and cosmetics.

Lead can enter the environment from these past and present uses. Lead can also be released into the environment from industrial sources and contaminated sites, such as former lead smelters. Although natural levels of lead in soil range from 50 to 400 parts per million, mining, smelting, and refining activities have resulted in significant increases in lead levels in the environment, especially near mining and smelting sites.

When lead is released into the air from industrial sources or jet-powered aircraft, it can travel long distances before settling into the soil, where it typically attaches to soil particles. Lead can move from soil into groundwater depending on the type of lead compound and the characteristics of the soil.

Federal and state regulatory standards have helped reduce the amount of lead 
 in air, drinking water, soil, consumer products, food, and workplace environments.

What are the health effects of lead?

Lead can affect almost every organ and system in the body. Children 6 years old and younger are most susceptible to the effects of lead.

Children

Even low blood lead levels in children can cause:

  • Behavioral and learning problems
  • Menor coeficiente intelectual e hiperactividad
  • Retraso en el crecimiento
  • Problemas de audición
  • Anemia

En casos excepcionales, la ingestión de plomo puede provocar convulsiones, coma e incluso la muerte.

Embarazadas

El plomo se puede acumular en nuestro cuerpo con el tiempo, se almacena en los huesos junto con el calcio. Durante el embarazo, el plomo se libera de los huesos de la madre junto con el calcio y puede pasar al feto; o en la etapa de lactancia, al lactante. Esto puede causar efectos graves en
 el feto o el bebé en desarrollo, algunos de los cuales pueden ser:

  • Que el bebé nazca prematuramente o con un tamaño demasiado pequeño;
  • Que se produzcan daños en el cerebro, los riñones o el sistema nervioso del bebé;
  • Que aumente la probabilidad de que se produzcan problemas en el aprendizaje o de comportamiento; y
  • Que la madre corra riesgo de sufrir un aborto espontáneo.

Aquí puede obtener más información sobre los efectos del plomo en mujeres embarazadas y lactantes:

Otros adultos

El plomo también es nocivo para otros adultos. Los adultos expuestos al plomo pueden sufrir las siguientes consecuencias:

  • Problemas cardiovasculares, aumento de la presión arterial y episodios de hipertensión;
  • Disminución de la función renal; y
  • Problemas reproductivos (tanto en hombres como en mujeres).

Lea más sobre los efectos del plomo en la salud

Disminuya sus posibilidades de exposición al plomo

Algunas cosas simples, como mantener su casa limpia y en buen estado, ayudarán en gran medida a prevenir la exposición al plomo. Para reducir las posibilidades de exposición al plomo en su hogar, tanto ahora como en el futuro, puede seguir estos pasos:

  • Inspeccione todas las superficies y manténgalas pintadas para evitar el deterioro de la pintura.
  • Aborde los daños causados por el agua rápida y exhaustivamente.
  • Mantenga su hogar limpio y sin polvo.
  • Limpie alrededor de áreas pintadas donde la fricción puede generar polvo, como puertas, ventanas y cajones. Limpie estas áreas con una esponja o un trapo húmedo para eliminar los pedazos de pintura o el polvo.
  • Use solo agua fría para preparar alimentos y bebidas.
  • Enjuague las tuberías que se utilizan para beber agua o preparar alimentos.
  • Limpie periódicamente los desechos de las rejillas de salida o los aireadores de los grifos.
  • Lave periódicamente las manos de los niños y también los biberones, chupetes y juguetes.
  • Enseñe a los niños a quitarse los zapatos y limpiarlos y a lavarse las manos después de jugar al aire libre.
  • Make sure your family members eat a well-balanced diet. Children with a balanced diet absorb less lead. See  Fight Lead Poisoning with a Healthy Diet: Tips to Prevent Lead Poisoning (PDF) .
  • If you are doing any home renovation, repair, or painting, make sure your contractor is certified in lead-safe practices and be sure to follow  lead-safe work practices (PDF) .

To determine if your family is at risk for lead poisoning, use the  Home Lead Poisoning Checklist (PDF) .