Abstract
In the U.S., approximately 9.3 million lead service lines (LSLs) account for most lead contamination of drinking water. As the commitment to replace LSLs with safer materials grows, empirical evidence is needed to understand which households are benefitting most from current replacement practices. This exploratory study analyzes factors predictive of whether an LSL was replaced fully (from water main to premise) or partially (only the portion on public property). Conventional ordinary least squares, negative binomial, and geographically weighted regression models are used to test the hypothesis that full lead service line replacements (LSLRs) were less common in lower-income, higher-minority neighborhoods under a cost-sharing program design in Washington, D.C. between 2009 and 2018. The study finds supportive evidence that household income is a major predictor of full replacement prevalence, with race also showing significance in some analyses. These findings highlight the need for further research into patterns of full versus partial LSLR across the U.S. and may inform future decisions about LSLR policy and program design.
Highlights
Lead water pipes, known as lead service lines (LSLs), were widely used throughout the United States (U.S.) until the 1980s
The middle two rows show dramatically higher rates of full replacement in wards with the highest incomes and smallest percentages of Black householders, compared to those with the lowest incomes and highest percentages of Black householders, for both total lead service line replacements (LSLRs) and LSLRs associated with capital improvement projects
On the other hand, achieves statistical significance only in the Negative binomial regression (NBR) version of geographically weighted regression (GWR), and likewise for the vintage housing exposure variable. These results indicate that the role of the independent variables in explaining full LSLR probably varies from neighborhood to neighborhood
Summary
Known as lead service lines (LSLs), were widely used throughout the United States (U.S.) until the 1980s. A service line refers to the span of plumbing that connects a building with the public water main under the street. When any portion of this service line is composed of lead pipe it is termed an LSL. Lead materials were historically used because of favorable physical and chemical properties, pliability and relatively low corrosiveness [1]. It is widely accepted that this plumbing material choice is a source of lead in drinking water. The harms associated with lead exposure are widely known and well documented [2]
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