SALT LAKE CITY — Before water reaches the kitchen sink, it has to make one final trip through a lead service line from the street to the house. In some older Salt Lake City homes, that last stretch is exactly what crews are now trying to replace.
“I’ll sleep better tonight than I did last night,” said homeowner Spencer Hogan.
The cause of Hogan's peace of mind comes from what crews uncovered outside his house. It's a pipe most people never think about, until they find out that it is made of lead.
“I was concerned, but not surprised,” Hogan admitted.
Hogan's home is 132 years old, but he's no longer worried about the water flow into his home after the lead pipe was replaced Wednesday.
“Today is the result of many years of planning and coordination with our community, and we are removing our first lead service line," explained Laura Briefer, Director, Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities.
Even as the program to remove the lead pipes is underway, officials say it doesn’t mean Salt Lake City’s water supply is unsafe. The concern is with older service lines, especially with homes built before 1986.
So far, the city has inspected 65,000 service lines and identified about 200 lead pipes scheduled for replacement— but another 23,000 still need to be checked. Health experts say removing them is critical, especially for young children.
“Lead is dangerous because it often doesn’t show symptoms right away. Kids can face learning disabilities, lowered IQ, and behavioral issues like ADHD or aggression,” explained health educator Brittany Bucco.
Bucco added that families who are concerned shouldn’t wait.
“The best thing they can do is ask their doctor for a blood lead test," she said. "It’s the only way to know if a child has lead poisoning.”
For the city, it's why it is working to get those old lead lines out. For Hogan, that happened in a day and at no cost.
“It’s wonderful not having to worry about that being an issue," he said.
Anyone concerned about their home can CLICK HERE to check the status of their lines.
