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October 9, 2007
Lead water main
I had an engineer do a report on a house I'm trying to buy. He said the water main into the house is lead and needs to be replaced. He thought it would cost me $4000 to do this. Does anyone have any experience with this? I read on the DEP site about a water main mapping project which indicates which parts of the main are owned by the city and therefore partial replacement cost would be covered by the city. Calling 311 and DEP have proved little help though.
Comments
This is a home-owner expense. Many brownstones still have the old lead water mains. Check the Forum archive for previous postings on this subject and contractor recommendations.
Posted by: guest at October 9, 2007 3:18 PM
we just had this work done on a brownstone. it cost $3,800. the company was zb & sons plumbing.
Posted by: z at October 9, 2007 3:22 PM
Lead = Birth Defects
Posted by: guest at October 9, 2007 3:41 PM
Our engineer said that just because you have a lead main, doesn't necessarily mean you have lead in your water. Get your water tested for free by DEP. (They send you bottles that you fill and send to a lab.) We did that and nothing came up.
We ended up replacing the main the next year because it started to leak, but that's another story. Cost around $4,000 or $5,000, can't remember exactly. I won't recommend the contractor.
Posted by: sixtysox at October 9, 2007 3:48 PM
Lead will make you strong.
Posted by: guest at October 9, 2007 4:05 PM
Time-honored way to live with a lead water main: let the water run a bit before you use it to drink/cook so it is fresh - the saying is that it can get lead in it while sitting there in your pipes. (Don't know if that's actually true, but have frequently heard it.)
When I lived in a brownstone coop with a lead water main, I did that for cooking, and used bottled water for drinking. You can can also look into whether any water filters actually filter out lead.
Posted by: guest at October 9, 2007 4:11 PM
My circa 1900 Victorian had lead pipe throughout the house with the exception of a more recent main. The accumulation of minerals inside the pipes reduced the flow significantly and I would assume also served to protect against the lead leaching into the water.
It is better to replace the main now at your convenience when you have time to solicit bids, rather than wait until it leaks and it's an emergency.
Posted by: guest at October 9, 2007 4:51 PM
I think the cost depends on how much they have to dig, as sometimes the water pipe that runs under the street may be close to your house or on the other side of the street.
Posted by: guest at October 9, 2007 4:57 PM
I think I used Matthew Ruggiero Plumbing back around 2001 and it was $3000 to install new main to opposite side of a narrow street.
Posted by: guest at October 9, 2007 5:14 PM
Yes, Strong like Rain Man
Posted by: guest at October 9, 2007 5:27 PM
Most brownstones/townhouses still have lead water mains.
As sixtysox said, get the free testing bottles from the DEP. Even if you have lead present in the water, you can use Brita pitchers for cooking & drinking. Showering/cleaning with non-filtered water is not an issue (even with children).
If you're about to buy, save the $4,000 for other urgent repairs. Trust me, you are bound to find something more urgent once you move in (asbestos, leaks, mechanicals, etc.).
Posted by: Mr Joist at October 9, 2007 5:35 PM
You are fully responsible for the water main leading into your house (perpendicular to the street)from the main city pipe (which runs the direction of the street) even though it is not actually on your property.
If you can afford it you should replace it now. Poisoning is not the only problem with lead. Lead is a soft metal. Over time (100 years?) under the weight of a street it can be crushed and will eventually burst. If this happens you will be financially liable for any damage to the street, neighbors, etc. And as a previous poster noted you won't have the luxury of time to find the best contractor.
How's the water pressure in the house? You may find it improves with a new main.
We used All-Boro Subsurface about a year ago and they did a great job for under 3K. And it was a long run across a wide street. (whichever side of the street has fire hydrants will have the city main.)
Posted by: guest at October 9, 2007 6:14 PM
Thank you folks, all of you have such good, sound advice. Much appreciated.
Posted by: annavanlenten at October 9, 2007 9:24 PM
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