Safe Water, Safe Winter: Protecting Our Communities

Winter is here, and while the temperatures drop, our commitment to a lead free DC remains stronger than ever.

In this issue, we're sharing the latest updates on our Lead Free DC initiative, including new tools to track progress, a behind-the-scenes look at an exciting pilot study, and how community partnerships are making a real difference. You'll also meet Justin Nance, a dedicated LFDC team member, and find ways to stay engaged—whether through our webinar series, upcoming events, or by sharing your feedback.

Let's keep the momentum going and make 2025 a year of even greater progress. Read on to learn more!

Table of Contents

• Track Lead Free DC Replacement Progress with our Dashboard!
• Pilot Study
• LFDC Team Member Spotlight: Justin Nance
• How DC Water Replaces Lead Pipes - What To Expect
• Community Partnerships for a Healthier, Lead-Free District
• Join Our Quarterly Webinar Series: Lead Free DC in Focus
• Join LFDC at these Upcoming Events!
• Stay Connected
• We Want To Hear From You
• DC Water Lead Website­­­­­

Track Lead Free DC Replacement Progress with our Dashboard!

As temperatures drop, keeping your water flowing safely is more important than ever. Just as frozen pipes can disrupt your home, lead service lines pose long-term risks to water quality. That's why we're working year-round to replace them—and we've made great progress.

Since our last newsletter, we've completed nearly 700 additional replacements! Now, you can track this progress yourself with our new public dashboard.

With this tool, stay updated on key milestones and see the numbers behind our efforts. The Lead Free DC Program Status Dashboard tracks two areas:

• Replacements Completed/Remaining: Follow our journey toward a lead-free District. As of January 2025, DC Water has replaced over 7,600 lead service lines! Celebrate with us as we approach our next major milestone: the 8,000th replacement.
• Service Line Material Verification: In 2023, we updated our service line inventory to identify service lines in one of the following categories:  1) verified lead, 2) verified non-lead, 3) suspected lead, 4) suspected non-lead, and 5) no information. On the dashboard, you can see LFDC's progress toward verifying the suspected or unknown lines. Verification is key in helping us accurately identify which lines still need replacing and confirming that we are removing all lead lines from the District.

As a supporter of Lead Free DC, we hope you find this tool informative, transparent, and motivating as we continue to make strides toward a safer, lead-free environment for all.

Don't forget to try out other tools:

• First, enter your address on our Inventory Map to find out if your property has a lead service line and what program may help replace it.
• Then, enter your address on our Construction Dashboard, to learn if DC Water is already scheduling free replacements in your area. If DC Water is not scheduled to be in your area, you can also learn about programs where you can schedule your replacement directly. 

Updated February 5, 2024.

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Pilot Study

A key step in meeting DC Water's goal of removing and replacing all lead service lines in the District is to improve the accuracy of DC Water's service line records, which is a comprehensive list of the locations of all service lines in the District. The service line inventory also includes the material type of the service line, which can be copper, lead, galvanized iron or plastic. Right now, DC Water has approximately 11,600 homes listed as “no information” in its service line inventory, and they are diligently working to determine the material of those pipes.

Maintaining an accurate inventory is a challenge for many utilities across the country. The Districts has many homes that were built more than 70 years ago, when record-keeping for service line materials was not routine.  In addition, property owners were not always required to report plumbing upgrades to DC Water, so the records do not always reflect the most recent information.

To address this, DC Water launched a pilot program to test two new technologies to determine the material of service lines that are listed as having “no information” in DC Water’s records. The pilot testing program evaluated two new technologies that can determine the material of a water service line without using the test pit, or “dig and determine” method. When DC Water's contractor performs a test pit, the contractor digs two holes in front of a home to determine if that property has a lead service line.  Each hole is typically close to 4 feet by 4 feet. With the new technologies, DC Water is looking to minimize the construction impact on residents.

Forty three District families volunteered to test both technologies for the pilot program. The technologies are less invasive than typical test pitting because they either do not require digging in front of the home or require digging smaller holes.  Both tests can be completed in less than half a day. The new technologies that were tested by DC Water were: 

ElectroScan Swordfish- A probe is inserted at the water meter and then fed through the water service line.  The probe will detect if there is a lead service line on the property.

EDT Inc's Service Line Material Testing (SMIT)- The contractor inserts probes in the holes along the location of the buried service line to collect information about the pipe material.

These technologies were selected for their ease of deployment, potential to be cost competitive to test pitting, and ability to minimize any disruption to residents, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience at the property. To verify the accuracy of the results, DC Water is currently completing test pits at these 43 homes while they consider deploying these technologies on a wider scale.

DC Water is very grateful to the homeowners who participated in the program as they were a tremendous help in assisting with research that will advance DC Water's goal of identifying and removing all lead service lines in our communities.

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LFDC Team Member Spotlight: Justin Nance

Justin Nance is the Canvassing Outreach Manager for Lead Free DC (LFDC). When DC Water is coming to your neighborhood to replace lead service lines, Justin's team is responsible for connecting with each home that may have a lead service line. Whether it's a phone call, email or visit to your doorstep, Justin and his team are on a mission to let people know they get a free replacement if their home has a lead service line.

Justin's journey into community outreach began when working as a project manager in the architecture and design industry. Drawn to making connections and being involved with the local community, Justin wanted to focus on making a positive impact in DC.

Justin loves his hometown's strong sense of community, and how everyone is eager to advocate for the neighborhood. Through his work in public outreach and LFDC's door-to-door effort, he has seen firsthand how residents help spread the word about lead service line replacements and actively participating in DC Water Events.

In 2024, Justin and the canvassing team signed up 4,962 homes to receive free service line replacements, driving toward the Lead Free DC mission to remove all lead lines from the District.

When asked how he and his team stay motivated when visiting hundreds of homes in a week, Justin shared, “We set clear and achievable goals and keep a positive atmosphere. We can be fun and engaging as well as supportive, encouraging, and flexible so we can adapt to challenges as a team and family. Our focus stays on making a positive impact in the city we live in, and that keeps us going.”

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How DC Water Replaces Lead Pipes—What to Expect

Curious about how DC Water replaces lead service lines? Our latest video walks you through the process—from planning and digging to final restoration—so you know exactly what to expect. Replacing lead pipes is a big job, but we’re working hard to make it smooth and efficient for every customer.

Watch now to see how we’re making DC lead-free, one pipe at a time! Watch the Construction Process Overview video here.

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Community Partnerships for a Healthier, Lead-Free District

At DC Water, our commitment to delivering safe, reliable water for every resident extends beyond our organization. By joining forces with key DC agencies and community organizations, we are forging a powerful alliance aimed at creating a lead free future for the District. This partnership is not just about service - it's a coordinated, long-term initiative to protect public health and strengthen our community's infrastructure. Together, we are laying the foundation for a historic effort to remove all lead service lines across the District, ensuring that every household has access to high quality drinking water.

Here's a look at some of our key partnerships:

• DC Health: With DC Health's expertise on health impacts, we're working closely to reach areas of concern across DC through shared materials, educational resources, and joint community outreach. Look out for upcoming webinars and presentations co-hosted by DC Water and DC Health, where residents can learn more about health and water safety.
• Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE): Our data-sharing agreement with the Department of Energy and Environment allows us to collaborate on monitoring water quality more closely. Together, we're ensuring that high-priority areas receive the resources and information they need.
• District Department of Transportation (DDOT): Our Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Transportation helps coordinate infrastructure projects smoothly, ensuring that road work and water system upgrades can happen efficiently with minimal disruption to our neighborhoods.
• District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA): For residents in District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) properties, we're actively planning test pitting and potential lead line removal in the next 1-3 years to support safe, lead-free water.

We are stronger when we work together, and our teamwork with the District agencies helps us to address community concerns more effectively. If you have questions specifically about health impacts from lead, testing, or other related topics, DC Health is your go-to resource, while DC Water remains dedicated to providing safe water and lead-free service lines. Stay tuned as we work toward a lead-free DC!

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Join Our Quarterly Webinar Series: Lead Free DC in Focus

DC Water is excited to announce the launch of a new quarterly webinar series as part of the Lead Free DC (LFDC) program. This series is designed to keep the community informed about the program's progress, provide educational resources, and create a space for open dialogue. Each session will feature dedicated topics and expert speakers to engage and inform residents about our mission to replace all lead service lines (LSLs) in the District.

The upcoming webinar, scheduled for March 13, will focus on:

• The Service Line Inventory: Explore the tool that tracks the estimated number of LSLs in the city.
• Program Milestones: Celebrate progress made to date and dig deeper into what the data shows.
• Next Steps: Hear about the upcoming mail campaign to notify residents about potential lead service lines in their homes and the associated health risks.

“This webinar series is an opportunity to connect with our community, share progress, and work together toward a lead-free future,” said DC Water CEO and General Manager David L. Gadis. “Transparency and engagement are at the heart of our mission, and we're excited to invite our neighbors to join us on this journey.”

Event Details

• Who: DC Water Lead Free DC Program
• What: Lead Free DC Public Webinar
• When: March 13, 2025, 12pm - 1pm ET
• Where: Microsoft Teams

How to Participate

Registration is encouraged but not required. A recording will be available for those unable to attend.

Join the Webinar

• Teams Link: [TBD]
• Phone: +1 202-753-6714 | Conference ID#: [TBD]

For media inquiries or to arrange interviews, please contact Senior Communications Manager Sherri Lewis at 202-787-2209 or sherri.lewis@dcwater.com.

Stay tuned for updates on future webinar topics and dates as we continue working together for a Lead Free DC!
 

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Join LFDC at these Upcoming Events!

Lead Free DC gives presentations and attends District events to share information about lead service line replacements all over DC! Stop by any of the below events to learn more about our programs, how to get a free lead service line replacement, and to ask questions!

If your organization would like Lead Free DC to join an event or give a presentation, please reach out to Sean Moore at sean.moore@dcwater.com.

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Stay Connected with Lead Free DC

Stay connected with us on social media for instant updates, engaging conversations, exclusive content, and event announcements. Your support and engagement on platforms like Facebook, X and Instagram help us to build community around our efforts and play a crucial role in our mission to create a lead free DC. Let's build a community committed to clean water and a healthier environment!

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We Want to Hear From You

Send us your thoughts and feedback on the program at lead@dcwater.com. We value your input!

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DC Water.com Lead Website

Curious to learn more about our Lead Free DC program? Visit our website at dcwater.com/lead to dive deeper into our initiatives and explore how we're working towards a lead free future.

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