CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — We're taking a closer look at the risks some residents face when they drink water from their home's pipes.
Tennessee American Water previously sent letters to 40,000 customers warning them that their pipes might contain lead or galvanized steel.
Experts say these harmful metals can wear down pipes over time and eventually leak into the water.
Tennessee American Water customers have underground pipes in their homes that can impact water quality.
This map shows homes in the service area that have lead or galvanized steel pipes. Black dots represent lead:
Keefe Plumbing owner Keefe said once these pipes corrode, they become brittle and can contaminate drinking water with lead.
When we asked Harvard public health professor Ronnie Levin what consumers should do if lead is found in their tap water, she told us…
When we asked TAW if they test the water that comes into residents' homes through lead pipes, they did not answer.
However, the FAQ section on their website states that they "do not offer lead water testing to individual customers who request such a service."
Lamar Stevens, director of Roto-Router, noted that lead pipes, common in the 1980s, have now been largely replaced by galvanized steel pipes, which are susceptible to internal corrosion.
Tennessee American Water previously sent letters to 40,000 customers warning them that their pipes might contain lead or galvanized steel.
Experts say these harmful metals can wear down pipes over time and eventually leak into the water.
Tennessee American Water customers have underground pipes in their homes that can impact water quality.
This map shows homes in the service area that have lead or galvanized steel pipes. Black dots represent lead:
Keefe Plumbing owner Keefe said once these pipes corrode, they become brittle and can contaminate drinking water with lead.
When we asked Harvard public health professor Ronnie Levin what consumers should do if lead is found in their tap water, she told us…
When we asked TAW if they test the water that comes into residents' homes through lead pipes, they did not answer.
However, the FAQ section on their website states that they "do not offer lead water testing to individual customers who request such a service."
Lamar Stevens, director of Roto-Router, noted that lead pipes, common in the 1980s, have now been largely replaced by galvanized steel pipes, which are susceptible to internal corrosion.