Fort Wayne City Utilities most important commitment is to the health and safety of our customers.
When drinking water leaves the Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant, it meets or is better than all state and federal standards require -- this includes the standard for lead. Lead can enter drinking water as a result of the corrosion of lead in the service lines between the public water main and a home or business. Lead may also enter drinking water from plumbing inside a building or from lead solder used in plumbing fixtures.
Service Line Replacement as Part of Water Main Projects
When City Utilities engineers are designing water main replacement projects, they determine if the service lines between the water main and the homes or businesses along the main are likely to be made of lead pipe. Lead service lines are most likely in homes that were built and connected to public water mains before 1950. During the water main replacement projects in areas with lead service lines, City Utilities will replace the utility-owned portion of the service line as part of the water main replacement project.
City Utilities will only replace the portion of the service line that is owned by the utility. That is the section between the public water main and the curb stop or the location where of the valve that turns water going to a building on or off. City Utilities recommends that when the utility-owned portion of the water service is replaced that the property owner should also replace the private portion of the water service line. However, we understand that this is not always possible.
Recommended Flushing After Partial Lead Service Replacement
After a portion of a lead water service is replaced, if the remaining portion of the line is lead it is likely that the level of lead in household tap water may increase for a period of time. This increase in lead levels is the result of pipes being disturbed during the partial replacement. Lead may also continue to be released into the water from lead or galvanized pipes inside a building, or it may come from other sources of lead int he plumbing such as lead solder, if these have not been removed or replaced as part of the service line replacement.
Following replacement of the publicly-owned portion of a lead water line, City Utilities recommends that property owners flush their water system for a period of time using the following procedure:
- Remove faucet aerators from all water taps in the home
- Beginning at the faucet nearest to the water meter, turn the cold water faucet on fully. Let the water run for 5 minutes and shut off the water before moving to the next faucet.
- Repeat this procedure at the remaining faucets throughout the home or business from the lowest level to the last faucet on the top floor. It is important to run water in bathtubs and showers as well as sinks.
- Until flushing is complete, customers should not consume tap water, open hot water faucets or use ice-maker or filtered water dispensers.
- Remove and clean faucet aerators and reinstall them on the faucet.
Lead Water Service Replacement Information from Fort Wayne City Utilities