U.S. Water News Online
WASHINGTON -- Thousands of homes in Northwest D.C. have begun receiving newly treated drinking water, the first step in efforts to reverse lead contamination in the city's vast water system.
A small pump has started feeding orthophosphate into water being pumped at the Fort Reno pumping station. The station serves about 20,000 homes in a roughly 2.5 square mile area.
Orthophosphate is a corrosion inhibitor that, over time, forms a protective coating inside pipes and fixtures to prevent lead from leaching into drinking water, according to officials from the Washington Aqueduct. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates the facility that supplies water to the District and Arlington County and the city of Falls Church in Virginia.
Lead-lined pipes and plumbing fixtures containing lead are believed to be the source of contamination in the drinking water supply.
General Manager Tom Jacobus said the Fort Reno area was chosen for the chemical introduction because the water is pumped a second time after coming from the city's main water source, the Dalecarlia Reservoir, and the residential and service lines in the area are typical of those found across the city.
"We can control and observe the effects in that area," said Jacobus. The limited introduction is to make sure the physical process of treating the water is working. The entire water system will receive orthophosphate treatment beginning later this summer.
Orthophosphate won't affect how the tastes, looks, or smells of the water, but could cause some water to briefly appear red, the result of rust from iron in the water, and should clear up quickly, Jacobus said.
The chemical will be a permanent addition to the area's water supply. It will be at least six months before lead levels start to decrease.
"We hope, and have reason to believe, it will be as effective as it has been in other jurisdictions," said D.C. Water and Sewer Authority spokesman Johnnie Hemphill.
Because the process takes time, Hemphill said customers who are already taking steps to reduce the threat of lead contamination, such as flushing the pipes and using water purification filters, should continue.
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