300 Union Plumbers Spent The Weekend Installing Water Filters For Flint Residents For Free

[HereWeGoAgain]

Is it really that cheap for a home filter? I guess I was figuring more around $100.

Brita and Pur both make one in that price range.

Do those get rid of lead? (I don't have any clue) If they do then the public needs to hit up Brita and Pur for some low cost filters for folks to end this stupid problem.

They say they do.
And at fifteen bucks a piece they can buy their own.

Who's they ? And would you risk the well being of your children based on a mere claim.

It's really quite simple. You buy the filter based on the good faith of the company and have the water tested for lead after install.
Cant anyone do shit without someone holding their hands anymore?

 

[pwjohn]

Is it really that cheap for a home filter? I guess I was figuring more around $100.

Brita and Pur both make one in that price range.

Do those get rid of lead? (I don't have any clue) If they do then the public needs to hit up Brita and Pur for some low cost filters for folks to end this stupid problem.

They say they do.
And at fifteen bucks a piece they can buy their own.

Who's they ? And would you risk the well being of your children based on a mere claim.

It's really quite simple. You buy the filter based on the good faith of the company and have the water tested for lead after install.
Cant anyone do shit without someone holding their hands anymore?

So after you get done wasting all that money buying a filter, and having the water tested, just to find out the water filter company was lying to you, what then!

They don't stop funding home loans for problems that can be fixed with a 10 dollar water filter. They can't even sell their houses at this point. So besides the governor, who's to blame for that?

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Brita and Pur both make one in that price range.

Do those get rid of lead? (I don't have any clue) If they do then the public needs to hit up Brita and Pur for some low cost filters for folks to end this stupid problem.

They say they do.
And at fifteen bucks a piece they can buy their own.

Who's they ? And would you risk the well being of your children based on a mere claim.

It's really quite simple. You buy the filter based on the good faith of the company and have the water tested for lead after install.
Cant anyone do shit without someone holding their hands anymore?

So after you get done wasting all that money buying a filter, and having the water tested, just to find out the water filter company was lying to you, what then!

They don't stop funding home loans for problems that can be fixed with a 10 dollar water filter. They can't even sell there houses at this point. So besides the governor, who's to blame for that?

And again....Can't anyone do anything without someone holding their hand?
You bring the damn thing back to HomeFuckenDepot with your test results and get your money back....all 15 bucks of it.

Everyone's looking to blame someone but the fact remains you should do whats necessary to protect your family in the meantime.
Test your water before and after install and send the bill to the state,city,county or who the hell ever ends up holding the bag.

 

[pwjohn]

Do those get rid of lead? (I don't have any clue) If they do then the public needs to hit up Brita and Pur for some low cost filters for folks to end this stupid problem.

They say they do.
And at fifteen bucks a piece they can buy their own.

Who's they ? And would you risk the well being of your children based on a mere claim.

It's really quite simple. You buy the filter based on the good faith of the company and have the water tested for lead after install.
Cant anyone do shit without someone holding their hands anymore?

So after you get done wasting all that money buying a filter, and having the water tested, just to find out the water filter company was lying to you, what then!

They don't stop funding home loans for problems that can be fixed with a 10 dollar water filter. They can't even sell there houses at this point. So besides the governor, who's to blame for that?

And again....Can't anyone do anything without someone holding their hand?
You bring the damn thing back to HomeFuckenDepot with your test results and get your money back....all 15 bucks of it.

Everyone's looking to blame someone but the fact remains you should do whats necessary to protect your family in the meantime.
Test your water before and after install and send the bill to the state,city,county or who the hell ever ends up holding the bag.

You have no clue. Seriously.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

They say they do.
And at fifteen bucks a piece they can buy their own.

Who's they ? And would you risk the well being of your children based on a mere claim.

It's really quite simple. You buy the filter based on the good faith of the company and have the water tested for lead after install.
Cant anyone do shit without someone holding their hands anymore?

So after you get done wasting all that money buying a filter, and having the water tested, just to find out the water filter company was lying to you, what then!

They don't stop funding home loans for problems that can be fixed with a 10 dollar water filter. They can't even sell there houses at this point. So besides the governor, who's to blame for that?

And again....Can't anyone do anything without someone holding their hand?
You bring the damn thing back to HomeFuckenDepot with your test results and get your money back....all 15 bucks of it.

Everyone's looking to blame someone but the fact remains you should do whats necessary to protect your family in the meantime.
Test your water before and after install and send the bill to the state,city,county or who the hell ever ends up holding the bag.

You have no clue. Seriously.

What you seem to have no clue about is that this is temporary.
Do you really think they are just going to keep pumping contaminated water?

 

[EverCurious]

I had a chance to look into the Brita and Pur thing and I found that a) apparently none of the pitcher filters meet strict Canadian standards for lead removal in 2012, and b) this extensive testing done here - Water filters tested for heavy metals removal: Zero Water, Pur, Brita, Mavea, Culligan, Seychelle and Waterman

According to their tests, its a bit incorrect to say Brita (14.4% of lead removed) or Pur (34.99% removed) would be viable, however, the underlying idea HereWeGoAgain has is ultimately correct because Zerowater (99.2% removal) is absolutely workable.

A Zerowater 6 cup pitcher is running $25 on Amazon right now and they make a 23cup dispenser size that's $40, which would be plenty adequate for the whole house needs. Filters look to be running $15 each and should generally be changed once a month, though if the water is really bad (which we'll presume the Flint water is for a worst case) you should replace it twice a month - (apparently it will start to smell like fish when the filter needs to be replaced due to a biological interaction in the filter lol, at least you should know when it needs replacing.)

Also, I'll save ya'll some email spam to see the results of their testing as I have a spam email account on my server -- If you are looking into one of these get Zerowater hands-down across the board.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Good for them.....
But seriously,if you found out there was a problem with your water and there was a filter available to fix it......why wouldnt it have been done already by the homeowner?

Filters won't do the job according to some.

Then why would the plumbers waste their time?

Good PR.

 

[Jarlaxle]

I'd mixed up the threads and posted this in the wrong one lol

RE: plumbers installing filters discussion - With this new bit about the "new" water being more corrosive I was able to hunt this down - Corrosive Water Problems (Water Quality) ~ Thus it's possible that a simple pH adjustment at the main intake line could actually resolve the problem for Flint homes.

"Treatment units such as neutralizing filters or chemical feed systems can be installed to reduce water corrosivity by adding alkaline chemicals to the water. Since corrosion affects the entire plumbing system, these treatment devices are installed where the water enters the home to treat all of the household water (Point-of-Entry or POE).

Acid neutralizing filters are very simple water treatment units that are intended to increase pH and add calcium thereby decreasing corrosivity. They consist of a tank filled with calcium carbonate (limestone) chips, marble chips, magnesium oxide, or other alkaline material. The acid neutralizing filter is usually installed after the pressure tank. Raw water flows through the tank and as it contacts the media, its pH is increased and corrosivity decreased. It is important to note that this process will increase the hardness of the water but this is necessary for proper corrosion control. Also, the resistance of the neutralizing material may lower water pressure.

Frequent maintenance is required for neutralizing filters. The tank must be routinely refilled with neutralizing material as it is dissolved. The rate of refilling can range from weeks to months depending on the raw water corrosivity, water use, and the type of neutralizing material. Backwashing is recommended to remove trapped particles and oxidized metals unless a sediment filter is installed ahead of the unit.

Corrosivity can also be treated by injecting a sodium hydroxide or soda ash solution using a chemical feed pump before the pressure tank. This treatment system is simple and inexpensive and it does not increase water hardness. Since the unit is installed ahead of the pressure tank, there is no reduction in water pressure that sometimes occurs with neutralizing filters. There is significant maintenance including filling solution tanks and maintaining the feed pump. Soda ash is preferred over sodium hydroxide because it is safer to handle. Sodium hydroxide is extremely caustic and must be handled using accepted safety practices."


I did notice in this article here it states that lead pipes were not made illegal until 1991... I'm going to look into if that was just PA or what, because I could swear I was told that if your home was built after 1978 you didn't have to worry about lead... Was it /really/ just lead paint that was banned and not lead pipes?!?

Copper pipes sealed with lead solder, maybe?

 

[Jarlaxle]

I'd not be opposed to a new regulation requiring that homes with lead pipes to be retrofitted before resale, or before renting. After all, it's been over 30 years since we became aware of this issue and every one I know, realizes that if you look at an older home you need to get a water test on the pipes and a paint test on the paint before you buy it - it's pretty much gone into the common sense file (at least up here.) And frankly, if one is renting their place, then they are absolutely obligated to provide a safe home for their tenants.

This really should be a nationwide standard when reselling homes or renting, it's been long enough that there's really no excuse to keep blowing it off. It doesn't require a lot of oversight per say, just that the banks and home inspectors be required to check it. I'm not sure why any bank would want to finance a home with lead pipes anyway; it's a bad investment.

As for swapping out the pipes in existing homes, can you tell me how much that runs on average? I honestly have no idea, my husband and I usually choose to do most of the work on things ourselves because that way I can nit-pick without driving some poor contractor to drinking (I made my husband move my kitchen cabinets like six times lol) We'd pulled out all the pipes for the bottom floor of our house since we moved everything but the toilet around down here and I don't recall it costing over $1k for parts (albeit we actually removed all the baseboard heating pipes since we switched to radiant floor heating) and it took us maybe 2 days - we pulled all the siding and cedar planks off the house and replaced all the insulation, windows, and tyvek'd the entire house so I guess I'm seeing it would be relatively easy to pull the sheetrock or siding and replace all the pipes.

That in mind, perhaps throw pipe replacement under the tax credit for energy efficiency stuff they have for like replacing windows and stuff? (Not entirely sure what that's called, just that we had mentioned our remodel when chatting with our tax guy and he was like oooo you'll get a credit for the low-e windows and doors, then a couple days later he was like nvm there's an income cap restriction.)

In many cases, that might have the exact same affect as condemning the house...because many people simply cannot afford to replace every bit of plumbing on the property! (Including the line to the water main.) If it cost less than $10,000 (and if it were MANDATED, look for that to skyrocket!) I would be amazed. Also, you might put people in the position of then having to prove a negative: how do you prove that your house built in 1910 DOES NOT have lead pipes? (My 19th-century farmhouse had no lead pipes except for a couple of drains.)

 

[EverCurious]

As I'm understanding it, one doesn't actually have to replace all the pipes, just the lead containing solder at the joints, but I agree the cost might be prohibitive for some folks. However, isn't 50+ years long enough to give people to fix this health issue with their homes?

We apparently need a regulation /requiring/ a water test, and that any lead contamination is fixed /before/ a home can be transferred, sold, or rented because folks don't seem to care enough to ensure their own health (at least not until they can yell at the government anyway.)


Now I don't know about you, but there is no way I'd buy a 19th century farmhouse (or any home built before the 80s frankly) without checking the water for lead - as well as testing the paint, and checking for asbestos. I like to know that the home I am considering buying isn't dangerous... It's not like it's hard, or even expensive, to find out if there is lead in a homes water; the test kit runs less than $20, is near instant, and all you really have to do is turn on a tap. ( Amazon.com: First Alert WT1 Drinking Water Test Kit: Home Improvement is the kit we use twice a year to make sure we've got our water softener set right.) There is really no excuse for /not/ checking this kind of stuff before you make a major investment like a house. Personally I won't even /think/ about a home (or cabin) purchase until my home inspector has gone through the place top to bottom - and banks require a home inspection before they'll finance a house so it's not like it's an expense you can skip.

 

[pwjohn]

Who's they ? And would you risk the well being of your children based on a mere claim.

It's really quite simple. You buy the filter based on the good faith of the company and have the water tested for lead after install.
Cant anyone do shit without someone holding their hands anymore?

So after you get done wasting all that money buying a filter, and having the water tested, just to find out the water filter company was lying to you, what then!

They don't stop funding home loans for problems that can be fixed with a 10 dollar water filter. They can't even sell there houses at this point. So besides the governor, who's to blame for that?

And again....Can't anyone do anything without someone holding their hand?
You bring the damn thing back to HomeFuckenDepot with your test results and get your money back....all 15 bucks of it.

Everyone's looking to blame someone but the fact remains you should do whats necessary to protect your family in the meantime.
Test your water before and after install and send the bill to the state,city,county or who the hell ever ends up holding the bag.

You have no clue. Seriously.

What you seem to have no clue about is that this is temporary.
Do you really think they are just going to keep pumping contaminated water?

You mean temporary like 6 months to a year. Sure!

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

It's really quite simple. You buy the filter based on the good faith of the company and have the water tested for lead after install.
Cant anyone do shit without someone holding their hands anymore?

So after you get done wasting all that money buying a filter, and having the water tested, just to find out the water filter company was lying to you, what then!

They don't stop funding home loans for problems that can be fixed with a 10 dollar water filter. They can't even sell there houses at this point. So besides the governor, who's to blame for that?

And again....Can't anyone do anything without someone holding their hand?
You bring the damn thing back to HomeFuckenDepot with your test results and get your money back....all 15 bucks of it.

Everyone's looking to blame someone but the fact remains you should do whats necessary to protect your family in the meantime.
Test your water before and after install and send the bill to the state,city,county or who the hell ever ends up holding the bag.

You have no clue. Seriously.

What you seem to have no clue about is that this is temporary.
Do you really think they are just going to keep pumping contaminated water?

You mean temporary like 6 months to a year. Sure!

At least you understand the meaning of temporary....I guess thats something.

 

[pwjohn]

So after you get done wasting all that money buying a filter, and having the water tested, just to find out the water filter company was lying to you, what then!

They don't stop funding home loans for problems that can be fixed with a 10 dollar water filter. They can't even sell there houses at this point. So besides the governor, who's to blame for that?

And again....Can't anyone do anything without someone holding their hand?
You bring the damn thing back to HomeFuckenDepot with your test results and get your money back....all 15 bucks of it.

Everyone's looking to blame someone but the fact remains you should do whats necessary to protect your family in the meantime.
Test your water before and after install and send the bill to the state,city,county or who the hell ever ends up holding the bag.

You have no clue. Seriously.

What you seem to have no clue about is that this is temporary.
Do you really think they are just going to keep pumping contaminated water?

You mean temporary like 6 months to a year. Sure!

At least you understand the meaning of temporary....I guess thats something.

You should worry less about me and more about your own lack of understanding.

 

[Jarlaxle]

As I'm understanding it, one doesn't actually have to replace all the pipes, just the lead containing solder at the joints, but I agree the cost might be prohibitive for some folks. However, isn't 50+ years long enough to give people to fix this health issue with their homes?

We apparently need a regulation /requiring/ a water test, and that any lead contamination is fixed /before/ a home can be transferred, sold, or rented because folks don't seem to care enough to ensure their own health (at least not until they can yell at the government anyway.)

Now I don't know about you, but there is no way I'd buy a 19th century farmhouse (or any home built before the 80s frankly) without checking the water for lead - as well as testing the paint, and checking for asbestos. I like to know that the home I am considering buying isn't dangerous... It's not like it's hard, or even expensive, to find out if there is lead in a homes water; the test kit runs less than $20, is near instant, and all you really have to do is turn on a tap. ( Amazon.com: First Alert WT1 Drinking Water Test Kit: Home Improvement is the kit we use twice a year to make sure we've got our water softener set right.) There is really no excuse for /not/ checking this kind of stuff before you make a major investment like a house. Personally I won't even /think/ about a home (or cabin) purchase until my home inspector has gone through the place top to bottom - and banks require a home inspection before they'll finance a house so it's not like it's an expense you can skip.

I knew there was no lead in the water (pipes were iron). I did have a home inspection...but the inspector pencil-whipped it (he was very sick), and missed all sorts of problems. (Little things like 7 layers of shingles on the roof.)

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

And again....Can't anyone do anything without someone holding their hand?
You bring the damn thing back to HomeFuckenDepot with your test results and get your money back....all 15 bucks of it.

Everyone's looking to blame someone but the fact remains you should do whats necessary to protect your family in the meantime.
Test your water before and after install and send the bill to the state,city,county or who the hell ever ends up holding the bag.

You have no clue. Seriously.

What you seem to have no clue about is that this is temporary.
Do you really think they are just going to keep pumping contaminated water?

You mean temporary like 6 months to a year. Sure!

At least you understand the meaning of temporary....I guess thats something.

You should worry less about me and more about your own lack of understanding.

My understanding of life has brought me to levels someone of your stature only dreams about.
In fact the very success I enjoy proves me right.

Go peddle your weak ideas to those stupid enough to follow...

 

[pwjohn]

You have no clue. Seriously.

What you seem to have no clue about is that this is temporary.
Do you really think they are just going to keep pumping contaminated water?

You mean temporary like 6 months to a year. Sure!

At least you understand the meaning of temporary....I guess thats something.

You should worry less about me and more about your own lack of understanding.

My understanding of life has brought me to levels someone of your stature only dreams about.
In fact the very success I enjoy proves me right.

Go peddle your weak ideas to those stupid enough to follow...

Don't waste your time telling me what to do because you're the last person in the world I'd take advice from

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

What you seem to have no clue about is that this is temporary.
Do you really think they are just going to keep pumping contaminated water?

You mean temporary like 6 months to a year. Sure!

At least you understand the meaning of temporary....I guess thats something.

You should worry less about me and more about your own lack of understanding.

My understanding of life has brought me to levels someone of your stature only dreams about.
In fact the very success I enjoy proves me right.

Go peddle your weak ideas to those stupid enough to follow...

Don't waste your time telling me what to do because you're the last person in the world I'd take advice from

You make my point
Exsquisitely

 

[pwjohn]

You mean temporary like 6 months to a year. Sure!

At least you understand the meaning of temporary....I guess thats something.

You should worry less about me and more about your own lack of understanding.

My understanding of life has brought me to levels someone of your stature only dreams about.
In fact the very success I enjoy proves me right.

Go peddle your weak ideas to those stupid enough to follow...

Don't waste your time telling me what to do because you're the last person in the world I'd take advice from

You make my point
Exsquisitely

I merely pointed out just how deeply flawed an individual you really are, and that for some reason has made you giddy with joy.

No what you do to better yourself is your business, so I won't bother with wasting my time telling you what to do

 

[whitehall]

The problem belongs to the federal government. Fed inspectors did a criminally bad job in approving the water switch over to a polluted river. Did they do it on purpose as a political tool to blame a republican state administration? The media blamed Katrina on Bush and Obama won't even declare a state of emergency to aid the people impacted by the bad water but there is no outrage directed at the federal government.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

At least you understand the meaning of temporary....I guess thats something.

You should worry less about me and more about your own lack of understanding.

My understanding of life has brought me to levels someone of your stature only dreams about.
In fact the very success I enjoy proves me right.

Go peddle your weak ideas to those stupid enough to follow...

Don't waste your time telling me what to do because you're the last person in the world I'd take advice from

You make my point
Exsquisitely

I merely pointed out just how deeply flawed an individual you really are, and that for some reason has made you giddy with joy.

No what you do to better yourself is your business, so I won't bother with wasting my time telling you what to do

Like I need someone to tell me what to do when they cant grasp the idea that you do what it takes to protect your family,cost and consequences be damned.
But hey...you go ahead and wait around for the government to help,I'lltake care of my problems a little differently.