UPDATE ON THE LEAD REDUCTION PROGRAM

Did you participate in one of our virtual community meetings?
Denver Water held virtual community meetings from June 11 to July 21 to inform customers about the Lead Reduction Program. These meetings were attended by 7,202 people from over 50 neighborhoods.

On Sept. 10, a virtual community meeting was held for suburban customers who receive Denver Water through a distributor. It was attended by 1,147 people.

To view recordings of these meetings visit: https://www.denverwater.org/your-water/water-quality/lead/events-outreach.

If you attended a virtual community meeting and asked a question that we didn’t have time to answer, please review the questions and answers linked here.

Survey on filter use
Are you one of the more than 100,000 people who received a free pitcher and water filter certified to remove lead as part of Denver Water’s Lead Reduction Program?

If so, we need two things from you for the program to be able to continue:

1. Use filtered water for drinking, cooking and preparing infant formula.

2. If you receive a survey from Denver Water about your filter use, fill it out and return it to us by the Oct. 31 deadline.

That’s all. We’ll do the rest.

If you take these actions, we can continue the program’s pace of replacing lead service lines throughout our community at no direct charge to the customer. From Jan. 1 through the end of July, we replaced more than 2,000 lead service lines and expect to replace around 4,500 by the end of 2020.

Don’t trash it, recycle it with Terracycle

Your Brita pitcher and filters can be recycled through the Brita Recycling Program. Visit terracycle.com for more information.

AUGUST 2020 UPDATE

Filter Tips
We want to make sure you are using filtered water for cooking in addition to drinking and preparing infant formula. Remember to use filtered water when cooking a dish that relies on water, like soup, or absorbs water, like rice or beans.

Pro tips for pitcher filter use:

• Store filtered water in an extra container, so it’s ready to use when you’re ready to cook or make infant formula.
• Keep your water pitcher and any additional filtered water in a cool, dry, dark place, like the refrigerator, to help prevent mold and bacteria from growing.
• If you’re using your own filter or a refrigerator filter, make sure the filter meets NSF Standard 53, meaning it’s certified to remove lead.

Launch of 1983-1987 Homes Program

Do you live in a home built between 1983 and 1987? Are you expecting or have a formula-fed infant? Look out for a letter from Denver Water with information on Denver Water’s program targeted to formula-fed infants in homes built between 1983 and 1987.

RECENT PROGRAM MILESTONES:

• Wondering if your neighborhood is scheduled for lead service line replacement work in 2020? We’ve posted a map on Denver Water’s website showing areas where crews will be doing lead service line replacements this year.
• If you’d like to stay updated on the progress of the Lead Reduction Program, you can view our Program Dashboard. The dashboard is updated monthly.
• In July 2020, Denver Water partnered with two community organizations, iNOW and CREA Results. These organizations are working to share information on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis in multiple languages through our Ambassador Program.
• In April 2020, Denver Water launched its pilot reimbursement program for property owners who want to replace their lead service line at their own expense. To qualify for a partial reimbursement for a service line replacement, applicants must complete the pre-approval form, and meet the listed requirements.
• In March 2020, Denver Water launched a section on its website dedicated to information about lead in drinking water and the Lead Reduction Program. This section features an interactive map where you can type in your address and see if your property is one of the potential homes with a lead service line.
• Beginning in March 2020, the pH level of the water was increased throughout all of Denver Water’s distribution system, which helps prevent lead from getting into the water as it passes through lead pipes, plumbing and fixtures. Read our TAP story to learn more about this milestone.
• Denver Water began sending information packets to customers enrolled in the Lead Reduction Program in March 2020.

Denver Water in the news

• Top 10 things to know about Denver Water replacing your lead service line
• Removing barriers to talking about the Lead Reduction Program
• El Programa de reducción de plomo cumple lo que promete
• Tackling lead at its source, the first six months

WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:

• Wondering if your neighborhood is scheduled for lead service line replacement work in 2020? We’ve posted a map on Denver Water’s website showing areas where crews will be doing lead service line replacements this year.
• If you’d like to stay updated on the progress of the Lead Reduction Program, you can now view our Program Dashboard.
• In April 2020, Denver Water launched its pilot reimbursement program for property owners who want to replace their lead service line at their own expense. To qualify for a partial reimbursement for a service line replacement, applicants must meet requirements set by Denver Water.
• Since March 2020, the pH levels have been increased to a target of 8.8 throughout all of Denver Water’s distribution system, which helps prevent lead from getting into the water as it passes through lead pipes, plumbing and fixtures. Read our TAP story to learn more about this milestone.
• Other sources of lead in the home. For more information on other sources of lead in your house, please visit www.colorado.gov/cdphe/lead-what-are-common-sources