Some Birmingham Water Works customers will receive letters from the utility next week alerting them that their homes might be served by lead pipes.

New federal regulations require the letters, which will primarily go to customers in homes built before 1989, the Water Works stated in a press release. Receiving a letter does not necessarily mean a recipient’s water supply is contaminated with lead.

“We want our customers to be aware of potential lead issues, but we don’t want them to be alarmed if they receive this letter,” said Darryl R. Jones, interim general manager of Birmingham Water Works. “The goal is to make sure our customers know if they have a risk in their home and to give them information to address that risk.”

The new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules require water utilities across the country to count how many customers have lead pipes in their homes and to make those customers aware of how they can lessen their risk of lead exposure. The letters from BWW will instruct residents to examine their pipes and report the results to the Water Works.

Those living in homes with lead pipes have the following options, according to BWW:

• Use water-filter pitchers the Water Works will provide for free.
• Request regular in-home testing by BWW to find out if water from their indoor faucets contains unsafe levels of lead. Customers can contact BWW’s Water Quality Team at 205-244-4375 to discuss having their water tested.
• Hire a plumber to replace their service lines with pipes that do not contain lead.

Letters will go to homes built when lead pipes were still being used, but not all those homes have lead pipes, and pipes in some older homes have been replaced with newer materials. Homes with lead pipes might not have an immediate problem, the Water Works stated.

The Water Works’ Customer Guide to Lead Safety includes resources on how to identify lead pipes, what the potential risks are and how to mitigate risks.

The letters are focused on potential lead contamination in privately owned service lines that connect water to individual homes.

BWW states the water when it goes into the system is routinely tested and “far exceeds safety standards for lead.” Jones said the utility has been identifying and replacing portions of infrastructure that contain older pipes.

“Our top priorities are to ensure the quality of our water remains excellent and to safeguard the health of our customers,” Jones said. “Under these new federal rules, water utilities like ours can do an even better job of helping our customers identify risks in their own lines and take steps to protect their families.”