Study raises concerns about amount of lead in New Orleans water

28th October 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer

A recently released study from local nonprofit The Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans revealed a disturbing truth: lead was in 83 percent of tested New Orleans homes’ water supply.

The collection and testing of samples occurred over the course of 16 weeks from May 20 to September 6, 2024. The study collected 286 samples total. Of that number, 238 samples in 127 households across 37 neighborhoods tested positive for lead (83.2% of all samples). Fifteen samples from 11 households (5.2% of all samples) exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s current action level of 15 parts per billion.

Lead is toxic and can enter the body through inhaling it or through ingesting it via food or water. The corrosion of plumbing materials in structures with lead pipes, fixtures, or solder can lead to the contamination of drinking water. Older buildings are particularly vulnerable.

A number of health problems can result from lead. Adults can suffer from high blood pressure, impaired kidney function, fertility problems, and more. Lead can lead to developmental delays and behavioral problems in children. It can also affect pregnant women, leading to low birth weight and developmental issues in newborns. Even if lead is ingested before the pregnancy, it can still have effects on the pregnancy and the child many years later. Lead ingestion can also lead to cognitive problems in the elderly.

Adrienne Katner, associate professor at the LSU School of Public Health, said lead in human bone has a half-life of 20 years. So, the lead a person ingests as a child can still affect them as an adult. Katner said lead in water can also lead to increases in criminal behavior.

“Wherever we see peak lead exposure in a community, we see an increase of impulse control issues, such as crimes of anger or passion,” Katner said.

While there are limits to what ordinary people can do about this issue, Taya Fontenette, policy and research coordinator for The Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans, said New Orleans residents can buy a lead-certified filter for their drinking water. She cautioned that not all water treatment devices remove lead. She said customers should look for the National Sanitation Foundation International logo on the packaging. Filters certified as NSF Standard 53 are specifically certified to reduce lead. Filters can come in a pitcher or can be attached to your faucet. If you want to attach it to your faucet, make sure it is compatible with your faucet’s size and design. The website NSF.org is a good starting point.

“It is something that is very easy to address at the household level,” Katner said.

Katner said New Orleanians should prioritize getting a certified filter in their homes because New Orleans is an old city, which means it has a lot of lead pipes. The amount of lead pipes puts the Crescent City in the top 10 percent of that stat nationally.

In terms of solutions, the study pointed to Washington, D.C.’s recent “Lead Free DC Initiative.” From 2019 to 2022, DC Water conducted extensive testing and discovered a disturbing truth. Many service lines that had earlier been labeled as “non-lead” had lead and caused more lead contamination than originally estimated. In response, DC Water issued a Lead Service Line Replacement Plan in June 2023.

The goals for this plan included prioritizing underserved areas, especially those with a high presence of children. Eligible residents could receive free or discounted replacement lines. The plan also calls for municipal legislation requiring area property owners to replace lead service lines on their property. Lastly, it calls for additional funds and grants to avoid raising customer rates because only 42 percent of the total program cost of $1.51 billion is funded. The goal is for D.C. to be lead free by 2030.

Katner also emphasized the potential funding problems in replacing lead pipes throughout the country. She said possible equity issues could arise if cities start relying on homeowners to pay for lead pipe replacement. If that occurs, only people with enough disposable income will get their lead pipes replaced. Renters and lower-income homeowners will likely not be able to afford it.

Fontenette said she hopes New Orleans officials from the mayor to the city council to the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board (SWBNO) realize the seriousness of the issue and take action to correct it.

“We hope they see this as a wakeup call,” Fontenette said.

Ceara Labat, spokesperson for the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans, said SWBNO is currently preparing a “comprehensive lead service line replacement program.” They have secured $86 million in funding so far. Labat said SWBNO is committed to replacing all lead service lines by 2037. She added that in the interim, customers can request a free lead filtration water pitcher at www.swbno.org/Projects/LeadAwareness.

“The SWBNO appreciates the Water Collaborative’s efforts to highlight the importance of lead safety in our community. We share the goal of removing lead service lines on both public and private properties and the importance of utilizing approved water filter pitchers for drinking water during this transition,” Labat said. “We understand that this critical work will require time and significant investment. With the support of our partners and ongoing funding initiatives, we remain dedicated to ensuring safe drinking water for all residents and visitors of New Orleans.”

This article originally published in the October 28, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.