Abilene residents notice homes flagged for galvanized pipes

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – The city’s new service line inventory map has been implemented, and Abilene residents are starting to notice homes being flagged for galvanized pipes.

In December 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced the revised Lead and Copper Rule to strengthen regulations on lead in drinking water nationwide. Since the start of the EPA’s lead and copper monitoring program, the City of Abilene has consistently kept lead levels well below the regulatory threshold without exceeding the lead action level.

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However, there are some locations throughout Abilene on the new service map that indicate a home may have galvanized pipes. Though that doesn’t mean lead, some of the side effects from galvanized pipes have the potential to produce harmful effects. At the most recent city council meeting the Director of Water and Utilities for the City of Abilene, Rodney Taylor, addressed council on these findings and the risks of galvanized pipes.

“Galvanize has a unique characteristic in that it will actually plate out lead if there’s lead in the water passing through the pipe. Taylor explained that those lead molecules can latch onto the galvanized surface within the pipe and then re-release under certain water chemistry characteristics,” Taylor explained.

Some of the risks associated with lead introduced into the human body include kidney damage, reproductive complications, and even brain damage, with children being more susceptible to harm. Knowing that galvanized pipes potentially have small amounts of lead, KTAB/KRBC sought out the opinion of a local plumber to get a professional opinion on how they address this issue. Stephen Torrez, owner of Total Quality Plumbing, spoke to their procedure when they discovered a property had galvanized pipes.

“Then after that, you just kind of have a conversation like, ‘Hey, this is what you have. This is what the city has been telling us. We recommend that you should probably get this all replaced to be on the safe side,'” Torrez said.

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Torrez explained how replacing pipe from the city’s meter to your home can be a manageable cost, but if you find galvanized pipe throughout your home, that cost could be greater than you may realize.

“Re-piping the house, it’s a whole different story because one either crawls underneath the house or you’re crawling in the attic making drops, and that can usually start off between $2,500 on up,” Torrez added.

The city has conducted surveys to identify properties with galvanized pipes at the meter connection but not in the interior. If your address is flagged on the city’s service line inventory map as having galvanized pipe, it is advisable to hire a plumber to inspect the interior of your home to confirm the type of pipe you have.

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ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) –