OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — The City of Oshkosh sent out over 11,000 letters in mid-November, telling residents the state of their water pipes. Here’s what you should know if you received one.
- There are three types of letters sent to residents: confirmed lead, confirmed galvanized, and unknown material.
- If you received confirmed lead or confirmed galvanized, there are simple precautions you can take to mitigate the risk of lead exposure.
- If you received a letter stating your home has unknown pipe material, you should schedule a free inspection through the city.
Jim Stelter has lived in Oshkosh for 72 years.
“My whole life I lived in this neighborhood,” he says.
When he received a letter saying he had confirmed lead pipes, he said he wasn’t too worried.
“I’m not concerned, I lived 72 years with lead and haven’t died yet.”
Steve Gohde, assistant director of public works, also says residents shouldn’t be too concerned, as long as they take a few simple precautions.
Gohde says those who received a letter saying the pipes are confirmed lead or confirmed galvanized should take the following precautions:
- Run the faucet for a bit before drinking or using it for cooking.
- Only take cold water from the faucet for drinking or cooking.
- Clean the aerator, which is the mesh piece at the end of the faucet.
"If you take the precautions to flush it, there's no need to be concerned– you're taking out the vast, vast majority of it,” he says. “If you want to put that extra level of protection in there, get a filter that removes lead, and use that for your drinking and cooking. Other than that, I would not be concerned about lead."
Those who received a letter labeling the pipes as “confirmed galvanized” should treat it, essentially, as confirmed lead and take the same precautions, according to Gohde.
Galvanized pipes pick up lead particles easily, and they are often downstream from lead pipes.
“Slightly different in the titles, but the same health effects, same risks,” Gohde says.
Those who received a letter labeled unknown material should schedule an inspection with the city. You can do so through its website.
“If you have the city come in and complete the inspection, that will not require you to do anything immediately,” Gohde says. “The only time you have to replace a lead or galvanized-considered lead is if there is work done on that line.”
Almost half of the homes in Oshkosh received a letter, which is part of a new, annual EPA requirement.
