Water Service Line Replacement: What You Need To Know
For most homeowners, water service lines and the other pipes on their property are an afterthought — until something goes wrong.
Take Robbinsdale resident Mike Schwieger as an example. His aging water service line has been giving him grief.
“Right now, we still have the old paper, tar-wrapped system going through there, so we’ve been having a lot of issues with things growing in there, the roots and stuff like that,” he told CCX News. “It’s a big consideration about replacing it, but the price tag behind it is really difficult to manage right now.”
His home is one of nearly 400 in Robbinsdale with a water service that’s been flagged by the state for possible replacement under the Lead Service Line Replacement Funding Program.
Service Lines
A water service line, which is typically buried in a home’s front yard, connects a home’s water pipes with a central water main, which is often buried under the street.
In cities with older housing stock, a variety of materials — such as lead, copper or galvanized steel — may have originally been used to originally construct the water service line.
In the wake of the Flint, Michigan water crisis, there’s heightened concern about lead pipes and contamination.
“The health concerns for having those lead pipes is exposure to lead, which is a neurotoxin,” said Anna Schleip, drinking water coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Health. “And when we have those lead pipes, if water is sitting in contact with those lead pipes for a long time, the lead can get from the pipes into the water.”
In an effort to reduce the risks of lead exposure, the state has instituted a program to replace lead service lines.
A graphic shows the connection between a home water meter, a water service line and the water main.
Galvanized Steel in Robbinsdale
There’s only one known lead service line in Robbinsdale. However, galvanized steel pipes are more common.
“Galvanized I think is basically a steel kind of pipe that is dipped in a liquid material to try and improve its corrosion resistance,” said Richard McCoy, Robbinsdale’s public works director.
These steel pipes come with their own contamination concerns.
“The risk with those types of pipes is that if they’ve ever had lead upstream, as the water flows through, any lead from those upstream components can then coat the inside of the galvanized pipe and stick there,” said Schleip.
A disruption or change in water chemistry can cause the lead to break off from the pipe, entering the drinking water system.
There’s an estimated 386 galvanized service lines installed in Robbinsdale homes. Each of them could potentially be replaced by the state.
According to McCoy, it’s likely that some of these homes have pipes have only galvanized fittings, or are made from unknown materials.
The city will have to test the pipes to determine which are eligible for replacement.
“Our understanding is that the state government will be funding cities to do this work, whether it be, replace the entire pipe or to replace the fittings,” McCoy said.
The state has a program to help replace lead and galvanized steel water service lines. Experts estimate there’s nearly 400 homes with galvanized steel lines in Robbinsdale.
‘Our Water Is Not Corrosive’
The state has an interactive map showing which properties are suspected of having lead or galvanized pipes.
Meanwhile, McCoy said Robbinsdale’s water is treated to reduce the risk of lead contamination.
“Our water is not corrosive,” he said. “We test that regularly to make sure that we’re within the parameters that we’ve set [for] ourselves. Also, we do feed a polyphosphate into the water that helps to line pipes. So rather than drawing materials out, we’re actually putting a protective lining on the inside of the pipe so that sort of stuff doesn’t happen. So, there’s no risk in anyone in Robbinsdale getting bad water or lead water that’s going to poison them or their family.”
However, there’s steps worried homeowners can take if they’re worried about potential contamination.
“Take actions like letting the water run, always using cold water, and if they’re really concerned they can get a lead test in their drinking water,” Schleip said.
Back at his Robbinsdale home, Schwieger isn’t worried about lead contamination. But, the chance to have the state replace his water main could keep him in his home for longer than planned.
“If that is true, that would definitely be a huge consideration about staying or leaving,” he said.
The state hopes to have all lead and galvanized service lines replaced by 2033.
Construction crews connect a water service line to a water main.
