Submitted by legalhandcannon t3_z58s7v in washingtondc
We tested our water with DC Water when we first bought our house back in 2017 and no lead was detected. We tested again recently and received results of .4 and .3 parts per billion. The DC Water pamphlet talks about filters etc. has anyone else received similar results? Searching the Internet had told us we are either fine or going to die. Bottle water is permitted to have 5ppb?
Related to this; has anyone ever tried the in line water filters that can be bought on Amazon? Like the Waterdrop brand ones.
I’ve had this APEC one about 3 years now and I’m very happy with it
Edit: I think when I looked at waterdrop their certifications were a little sus.
Got an under sink Aquasana brand filter and it’s great. Makes a big difference in reducing the chlorine taste in the spring when they flush the system.
We got a Frizzlife Water Filter about 8 months ago. Easy install, and when I changed the filter out in September, it was easy to do. Plus saved a lot from the britas we were using.
We also did replace the lead pipes from the street to the house last month. Cost 100.00/foot or 1350 for us , plus another 350.00 for drywall repair. We were without water for two hours, and they capped off a pipe in our front patio as well. Removing a tripping hazard.
We got notified that by DC water that we had lead pipes too. Who did you choose from the list? Assuming you used the LPRAP program, that is.
S&J was who the city recommended to us. They were great.
Thank you! Will get on this ASAP.
I have an under sink filter. Took about ten minutes to install, lasts 4-6 months, doesn’t take up counter or fridge space.
Highly recommend it.
I second the Berkey Filter recommendation. I have two and they are really great.
> Searching the Internet had told us we are either fine or going to die.
Doing some quick math, if you’re starting at 0 μg/dl of lead in your blood, then at 0.5ppb you’d need to drink about 70 gallons of that water to get up to the CDC reference level of 3.5 μg/dl. This is assuming that all of that lead is absorbed into your bloodstream and your body isn’t clearing out the lead.
I think you’ll be okay. You can get your blood lead levels checked fairly cheaply if you’re concerned.
How old is your house, and how old are the pipes leading to your house?
House is 1930s. No idea on the pipes. The lines appear to be copper.
DC water has a map and you can search your house to find out when the pipe leading in was replaced or if it’s been verified. My pipes were copper which was a relief. I did put a whole house filter system in anyway because the water in this city is just awful.
Can you tell me more about your filter system? I’m considering doing one now to address the overall PH (which I think is drying our hair and skin excessively) and the chlorine. Our plumber is quoting $5-8k ugh. Did you pay that much? Any tips?
It’s an aquasana system. Master plumbers can install it and you should have them asses your house before you order it. You can install the system in some tight spaces but it isn’t ideal. It’s installed where the water enters the house and mine is two smaller filters and one 5ft tall tank. I change the pre filter every two months (it turns brownish yellow), the post filter is every 6 months, the main filter is good for 6 months. They auto send the smaller filters.
The water tastes great and I’m happy I did it. The system is about $1600 and the install was about $1000 so not cheep, but it’s worth the piece of mind. You can also get under sink systems for less. I did not get the UV filter or any bells and whistles.
Can you tell me who you had do that installation? I was quoted much higher!
I used Master Plumbersin Silver Spring. They installed everything last year. They had me buy the filter direct from aquasana. Make sure that your install space is big enough and that the high quote isn’t because of some other issue.
> which I think is drying our hair and skin excessively
I was in a different city with quite soft water for Thanksgiving, and holy shit did my hair and skin feel better while I was there. It's got me looking for ways to deal with this.
I've seen a lot of folk on reddit mention something called a water stick that you install into your shower for softening, but I'm kind of unclear if that would actually help with DC's water or not.
(I get the impression a whole house system is generally better, but since I currently rent an apt that isn't an option -- but something that just sits attached to the shower line might be.)
Yeah the PH of DC’s water is supposedly really high and wreaks havoc on your hair and skin :/
Does the age of the pipes matter if they are not lead? Shouldn’t the question be whether the service line and distribution lines in the house are lead vs copper?
It's not that the age causes lead to get worse, it's that the age can be an indicator as to whether lead pipes are a possibility.
Just scratch the pipes and check
It leaches from the solder on copper pipes especially if the water pH isn’t correct.
Better question is how old is OP. If they are old enough to own property in DC (and don’t have kids) then it’s possible their bones are a greater source of blood lead than the water supply.
Plug in your address and it will tell you the type of pipes and when they were updated
Yeah we are green on both sides. Still concerned.
Did you test the ph of the water too?
We tested our water with a baby on the way and had 4 parts per billion. Copper service and copper main. We found out there was lead joints whatever that means in the old copper pipes which were just recently replace. I think lead also leeches from old service lines from neighbors. We also tested after filtering it and it was 0. We don't drink or cook with the water if it's not filtered.
Was it 4 or .4? And what filter did you use?
4 parts ber billion. But this was before they replaced the old copper lines. I'm assuming it's lower now but we still don't drink from tap without filter. We use the filter attached to the fridge which reduces lead by 99% and we replace it regularly.
It is really frustrating that there's no info on this after you get the test. My house tested .9 PPB and I got a Brita lead filter to be safe for making formula for our two kids. We didn't filter everything for sure and they never had lead show up in their blood tests which I think are mandatory for young kids in DC.
StreetPen t1_ixuo7d3 wrote
The irritability conveyed in your post would suggest you've already had too much lead.
Kidding, you'll be fine. You can get a filter if you want, but most people don't.
I really like this one: https://www.berkeyfilters.com/ It sits on my counter so I don't have to go to the kitchen to refill.