City of Natchitoches to check water lines for lead at no cost to residents

NATCHITOCHES, La. (KSLA) - Thanks to grant funding from the Louisiana Department of Health, the City of Natchitoches is starting a project that will determine whether lead materials exist at each home in the area.

The Environmental Protection Agency spearheaded the Infrastructure & Investments Act in 2021. This will allow the City to inventory of lead service lines and lead service line replacement.

Officials say they will be visiting all Natchitoches homes to inspect water meters and pipes. If any lead is found, the service line from the meter to the house will be replaced for free.

The City of Natchitoches drinking water is in compliance with all federal, state, and industry standards for drinking water. However, please know there are no safe levels of lead, and the most common lead sources in drinking water are lead pipes, solder and brass fittings in fixtures, and lead that can dissolve into water or enter as flakes or miniscule particles. According to the EPS, lead poisoning can cause damage to the neurological, cardiovascular and immune systems, and it is particularly harmful to children, reducing language development and attention span increasing aggression and impulsiveness.
City of Natchitoches