The Northern Kentucky Water District, which provides drinking water to homes in Northern Kentucky, including the City of Dayton, is asking property owners within its service areas to assist the agency in identifying the type of pipe material that is used for water line service to your property to determine whether that material is lead.
Young children, infants, and fetuses are particularly vulnerable to lead because the physical and behavioral effects of lead occur at lower exposure levels in children than in adults. A dose of lead that would have little effect on an adult can have a significant effect on a child, including damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, shorter stature, impaired hearing, and impaired formation and function of blood cells.
Lead pipes that connect the homes to the water mains — also known as lead services lines — are typically the most significant source of lead in the water. Lead pipes are more likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986. Under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the federal government is providing funding to public water systems to help find and remove lead service lines in the form of low-interest loans and forgivable loans.
Please click here to see the Water District flyer on how to determine whether your pipes are made of lead, and if so, how to report this to the Water District. Hard copies of this flyer are available at the City Clerk’s Office, 514 Sixth Avenue, Dayton, Ky.