Residents weigh lead risk against pricey water line replacement
Officials are making a multi-year push to help residents replace old lines that connect them to the town system.
Andrea Zall remembers when crews in hazmat suits peeled asbestos off her furnace. Until recently, she had no idea about the suspected lead pipe still carrying her drinking water.
In a town full of historic homes — and their environmental hazards — officials are making a multi-year push to help residents replace old lines that connect them to the town system.
The state wants to eliminate lead water lines entirely, and while homeowners who spoke with The Acton Bridge would welcome a replacement, some say high costs have them thinking twice.
“We realize that’s going to be a challenge to meet for Acton,” Senior Environmental and Regulatory Coordinator Melissa Simoncini said of the state’s goal.
Lead exposure can have myriad health consequences, particularly in children.
Most Acton addresses are in the clear. But 94 have lead, according to the town. Seven have non-lead service pipes that need replacement due to possible lead buildup.
The town lists 187 addresses with unknown lines — including the Town House.
Lead levels in Acton’s supply are well below the federal limit. The town also adds chemicals to prevent water from leaching lead out of old pipes.
Simoncini said the town has no lead mains. But service lines can contaminate water in the final stretch before it reaches the faucet.
While homeowners are on the hook for service line projects, Simoncini highlighted a town program that can make the swap for a comparatively low price.
The program generally isn’t an option for residents with fieldstone foundations or significant landscaping, such as stone walls.
On Bedford Street, Scott Snelling said he heard the pipe to his 145-year-old home qualified for town replacement at a cost of around $2,000. Then, he said, officials told him otherwise.
Snelling met with a contractor who said a private job could run close to $30,000 — and damage his property. He tested his water and found lead levels were low.
“I’m not going to pay somebody $30,000 to dig up my yard for a problem I don’t really have,” he said in an interview this month.
Steven Crisp owns a rental property with a lead line on Thoreau Street and said he hopes to use the town’s program. After initial conversations, he said he was still waiting to hear back about timing.
The Bridge tried to contact a resident who lives in Crisp’s building, according to town records, but was unsuccessful.
Service line stats
- Non-lead service lines: 5,388
- Lead status unknown: 187
- Lead: 94
- Galvanized requiring replacement: 7
Source: Town of Acton
On Willow Street, Zall said she and her husband “have been concerned” about outdated materials in their home. “What we could take care of,” she said, “we did.”
Simoncini said officials communicated with the Zalls four times over several years, including a phone conversation. Zall said she believes the town sent messages, “but that doesn’t mean we got it,” she said.
Zall learned about her line when she answered a Bridge reporter’s call. Three days later, after following up with the town, Zall said the municipal replacement program seems to be off the table due to a large tree in her yard.
As she and her husband age, she said, they can’t afford a private contractor. “We’re healthy,” she said. “Our kids are healthy.”
Zall wishes lead had come up when utility crews dug in her neighborhood to bury electrical lines; replacement might have been easier. Having also replaced her interior plumbing, Zall said, “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t know about this.”
Financial help
Simoncini said staff are working with town and state programs to find funding for service line replacements. She referred a reporter to Community Services Coordinator Bonny Wilbur, who flagged groups such as the Hugh Cargill Trust Committee, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Acton-Carlisle Foundation, which all help residents cover “essential bills.”
Officials also flagged ways to minimize exposure, including flushing standing water out of faucets and installing filters.
Simoncini said the town’s lead service line inventory has been a time-intensive task, with more work expected over the next three to five years. Whether residents remove old pipes or adopt new safety measures, officials want people to know what’s under their streets and yards.
“If we think it’s lead, we want to communicate that,” she said.
Get more information about pipes around your property: Visit the town’s searchable database.
