WHY?? Lead poisoning persists in Queen City

I am continually bothered by these reports on lead poisoning in the city and that Buffalo leads in the state.
Here is my question and I will also send this to others.

Lead water supply lines feeding old houses in Buffalo. Lead? Why lead?
Even black iron pipe would have been better, now a days it is all done with copper.

I found out about this by pure accident. I was called for an emergency repair job for a water leak in the basement of a house on the west side. On Chandler street to be exact. Once I arrived I realized the water had to be shut off at the street. I could not wait for the city to respond so I borrowed a gate key and shut the water off at the street myself.

Going back in to the flooded crawl space basement I found the source of the leak. I broken water supply shut off valve. I cut the line and took it to a good commercial plumbing supply outlet, (IRR on Kenmore Ave). I was told that the fitting was attached to lead pipe. They reached on to the shelf and gave me the proper fitting to do the repair. I was absolutely amazed and totally confused as to why lead pipe was used to supply water.

The guy behind the counter told me that it was popular back when and that most old houses in Buffalo have lead as a supply line going into the houses.

So millions have been spent removing lead paint from homes, millions have been spent in awareness programs just to see little if any positive results. Why has no one investigated the possibility that the source of lead poisoning in children is not caused by kids eating lead paint. How about them drinking from lead pipes everyday?

—————————-
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – The Queen City may be at the epicenter of the lead poisoning dilemma, but the problem that won’t go away doesn’t stop at its borders.

Erie County continues to rank as the second highest in detected lead poisoning cases in New York State.

According to Dr. Gale Burstein, Erie County Health Commissioner, “As a pediatrician, I know very well that of all the toxic effects can have, especially to young children. It causes permanent damage, which is really avoidable.”

The Erie County Health Department is gearing up for Lead Poisoning Prevention Week and will be offering “Safe Home” classes at various community centers and libraries next week.

“We see this mostly in the older homes, remember, that used to have the beautiful shinny lead paint,” added Dr. Burstein.

In those homes that have been tested, lead is being detected in as many as 95 to 98 percent of older City of Buffalo dwellings, mainly on the east side and west side. But the suburbs are not exempt.

Thomas Muscarella, Lead Program Manager at the Erie County Health Department said, “Once you hit the suburbs there’s less, but you still find it because there are a lot of pre-1978 homes out there.”

Lead poison exposure testing done during wellness visits to the doctor’s office are helping to identify the risk and the numbers are staggering.

“For lead poisoning cases, we have approximately 350 to 400 per year. As far as elevations there are another 700 to 800,” said Rebecca Henry, also a Lead Program Manager at the Erie County Health Department.

Lead poisoning persists in Queen City