“boil” water advisories must become “filter-and-boil” water advisories
Image source: Tatiana Kuklina (iStock)
December 5, 2024
Neighbors,
As many of you probably heard, this Tuesday, Dec 3, DC Water issued a Boil Water Advisory for residents in a few neighborhoods in Northeast DC. The reason for this advisory was water pressure loss, which can result in pathogens entering the distribution system and making people sick.
Boiling water is the right thing to do when you're trying to kill disease-causing organisms. But this same precautionary measure does not remove lead. In fact, boiling water can concentrate any lead in it and place people at risk of increased lead exposures (this NBC4 piece from yesterday, Wednesday, Dec 4, focuses on this issue). For this reason, we, at the Campaign for Lead Free Water, believe that DC Water's "boil water" advisories must be "filter-and-boil" water advisories instead.
We've been in communication with DC Water about this matter for quite a while and trust that soon they'll get the messaging right. Until then, however, we feel the obligation to spread the word about best practices for maximal public health protection.
Here's what to know:
Lead-certified filters are currently the best available technology for reducing lead to, or very close to, EPA's health-based standard of zero. When these filters are properly installed, operated, maintained, and replaced, they are more reliable at reducing lead than flushing (indeed, flushing can inadvertently increase lead-in-water levels). Look for point-of-use filters (e.g., pitcher style, faucet-mount, countertop) with the following two certifications: NSF Standard 53, along with a claim of lead reduction, and NSF/ANSI Standard 42.
During a boil water advisory, it's important to do one of two things, whether or not you have a lead service line:
Filter the water first. Boil the filtered water second (see, for example, this boil water advisory from Flint, Michigan). Once the advisory is lifted, replace your filter to avoid any potential pathogen colonization in it.
Alternatively, boil the water first. Let it cool (because hot water can damage many filters) and then run it through your filter.
Boil water advisory or not, consider using a lead-certified filter for all drinking and cooking purposes, no matter where you live or work. Although DC is not undergoing a lead-in-water crisis like the one we experienced in 2001-2004, low (and sometimes high) levels of lead flow routinely out of many of our taps. DC Water's own regulatory compliance sampling in 2021, 2022, and 2023, for example, shows the presence of lead in 70%-81% of 1st-draw samples, with some lead concentrations exceeding 100 parts per billion and reaching up to 360 parts per billion. 1st-draw samples tend to capture contamination from lead-bearing plumbing inside a building (e.g., lead solder, leaded brasses, galvanized pipes), and such plumbing is present in pretty much all buildings, whether or not they have a lead service line (it's important to note, however, that because lead service lines are made of 100% pure lead, they are typically the most significant source of lead in water).
Proper filtration can protect you from routine lead-in-water exposures even when:
DC Water meets federal regulatory requirements, like it does today (that's because the Lead and Copper Rule is not a health-based regulation, see more here), and
A one-time test of your water shows 'non detect' or 'low' lead (that's because the release of lead from plumbing tends to be erratic, and standard testing can miss worst-case lead levels dispensed from the sampled tap).
We regret that, in its response to NBC4, DC Water claimed to be following EPA boil water advisory guidelines. These guidelines are incomplete, and there's nothing stopping DC Water from recommending stronger and more health protective measures (like, for example, Flint's boil water advisory). It was also unfortunate to see DC Water arguing that the disclosure of information we must have to protect our health and the health of our families "may create confusion." We are concerned that this position serves to justify DC Water's selective release of important information and undermines our right to know about the quality of our tap water — a right that is codified in the Safe Drinking Water Act. Lastly, we have concerns about the accuracy of DC Water's claim that "lead levels do not increase following water main breaks." Water main breaks can change the water's chemistry and make it more corrosive. Additionally, water main repairs can cause physical disturbances to both lead service lines and in-home lead-bearing plumbing. Research has shown that these disturbances can result in both short- and long-term lead-in-water spikes (see the hyperlinks in the previous sentence).
If you know people in the affected boil-water area, or if you know someone who might be interested in this topic, please feel free to share this message with them.
Thanks,
Yanna Lambrinidou, PhD
Campaign for Lead Free Water
pnalternatives@yahoo.com
Paul Schwartz
Campaign for Lead Free Water
paulschwartzdc@gmail.com