An estimated 35,000 homes in Cincinnati have potentially dangerous lead drinking water pipes, and the city hopes to replace them all by 2037.

Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) is launching a public information campaign to contact all residents of these properties over the next few months.

“The reporting process is part of some changes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making to the Safe Drinking Water Act,” said senior program manager Kevin Kappers.

The new rules will take effect on October 16. GCWW and all other utilities must notify customers with lead pipes, galvanized steel pipes (which may contain lead), and pipes where the material is unknown.

“We will proceed block by block, come to the customers, register them and prepare entire streets for the exchange,” said Kappers.

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This is not the first time GCWW has contacted residents about lead pipes. The Enhanced Lead Program was launched in 2016 and GCWW has replaced lead pipes in approximately 6,000 homes over the past seven years.

However, unlike in the early days of the program, the city now bears the entire cost of the replacement instead of sharing it with the homeowner.

“When we work in your area, we will reach out to you in every way we can,” Kappers said. “We call, we text, we email, we put up signs on the street and we work with your local council.”

You don’t have to wait for a letter to find out if you have lead pipes. Visit the GCWW website to learn how to identify lead pipes and view an interactive map of all known lead service lines in the city.

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Until recently, people could get on a waiting list for GCWW to replace their lead pipes one at a time, but according to GCWW Director Cathy Bailey, that’s not a good way to replace 35,000 pipes as quickly as possible.

“It’s not efficient or effective if we’re just jumping around all over the city,” Bailey said. “If we need to hit 20 on the road, we need to be there at the same time to try to hit the 20, not two this year; five in three years; two, two years after that.”

Bailey says customers should still contact GCWW if they are concerned about their water. You can request a free lead test in your home’s water at gcww.org/lead-test-kit. The city will arrange individual replacements if needed, such as if pipes are leaking and need to be repaired.

Tenants can arrange a water test themselves and do not need permission from the landlord.

What you can expect from GCWW

GCWW will send approximately 5,000 letters weekly for ten weeks to address the expected increase in calls and emails from customers with questions about the notification.

Rental properties will receive multiple copies of the letter: one to the tenant, one to the landlord, and one to the owner’s agent. The utility company will also notify customers via email when this information is available.

For more information on the notification process, see this memo from the City Manager’s Office.

Is my water drinkable?

The water that GCWW supplies from our faucets does not contain lead. The risk of contamination comes from lead pipes or water fixtures in the home.

Officials say the water in most homes with lead pipes is still safe to drink. That’s partly because the utility company uses a chemical anti-corrosive as part of the treatment process, which prevents lead from the pipes from leaching into the water.

“But the only 100 percent surefire way to eliminate the lead hazard is to remove or replace the lead pipes themselves,” said Kevin Osborne, director of public engagement.

Director Bailey says there are other potential sources of lead contamination in older homes, particularly from paint. Hamilton County and the City of Cincinnati each have a lead poisoning prevention program.