Reminder to some water customers – flush your faucets

By Alana Cerrone

acerrone@abc6.com

@Alana_Cerrone

It’s never a subject that’s taken lightly. Lead can lead to serious health problems.

That’s why Providence Water is holding nothing back. when it comes to their water supply.

"We do have lead services on our side that we’re addressing on a regular basis."

General Manager Ricky Caruolo says the source water is clean. It’s the remaining lead pipes that are the culprit.

So the company’s committed almost $90 million to rehabbing their water mains.

But there’s still a problem. Those public pipes are then connected to private pipes, many of which still contain lead.

"If you have lead plumbing or lead fixtures you still will have a lead issue."

Anytime clean water sits in lead piping lead can leach in. That has the potential to be dangerous, especially for kids and pregnant women. So homeowners can either replace their plumbing, or take a less expensive route.

"We tell everybody to run their water for 2-3 minutes – it would cost you about a penny – until the water gets cold if the water’s been sitting stagnant in their system for a while."

To see if your home has lead piping or services, click here.

© WLNE-TV 2017