100-year-old data making hunt for old, lead water pipes difficult in Tacoma

TACOMA, Wash. – Utility crews continue digging up the earth, searching for the source that revealed high levels of lead in the water of some Tacoma's homes.

Locating the old pipes that could be leaching lead isn’t an easy task thanks to more than 100-year-old records that lack detail. Some of the old records don’t specify what materials were used; sometimes the only way to find out is to dig into the ground.

The old pipes are called goosenecks, which are used to funnel water from the mainline into a customer’s meter. Tacoma Water has been removing them for years, but crews continue searching for more.

“We want to go after these as quickly as possible and as efficiently as possible,” said Craig Downs with Tacoma Water.

Crews found a gooseneck pipe on South Ferry Street on Tuesday. Officials believe 1,700 more goosenecks could still be lurking in the system.

Mother Shannon Duffey worries her child could be at risk for lead exposure.

“I would love to see all of these goosenecks taken out,” she said.

Duffey said Tacoma Water sent her a letter saying her home could be one of 1,700 other customers still getting water through a gooseneck.

For now she’s just hoping her son isn’t being exposed to lead.

“To make sure that he has the best possible future, and his dad and I, too,” she said.

Tacoma Water is pulling more water samples from several more homes suspected of having a gooseneck connection. The utility hopes further water quality test results will pinpoint where more goosenecks will be located.