San Antonio Confronts Aging Asbestos Pipe Concerns Amid Health and Safety Debate

San Antonio's aging water infrastructure, consisting of over two thousand miles of asbestos-cement pipes, has recently come under scrutiny. According to FOX San Antonio, the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) reported significant water loss due to leaks, prompting a briefing on a replacement plan. Despite asbestos fibers found below the Environmental Protection Agency's limit in 2022 testing, concerns about the potential health risks persist.

An investigation by the News 4 I-Team revealed that 27 percent of SAWS's pipeline network still contains asbestos. These pipes, dating back to as early as the 1950s, could pose a threat, especially as they age and deteriorate. "My fear is that even though they may not have a whole lot of evidence yet, it could certainly have health effects," local resident Marsha Grayson expressed in an interview obtained by News 4 San Antonio. 

Health expert Arthur Frank, from Drexel University, has raised concerns regarding the ingestion of asbestos fibers from deteriorating pipes. "We know that the consumption of asbestos, such as drinking asbestos fibers that have come through asbestos pipes, increases one's risk for developing certain kinds of cancers," Frank told the News 4 I-Team. SAWS, however, maintains that the water is safe and that a natural calcium barrier inside the pipes reduces any potential for asbestos fiber release into the drinking water.

"The pipes that we have in the system are not a danger to our customers, we make sure of that every single day," SAWS spokesperson Anne Hayden assured, as conveyed by News 4 San Antonio. This sentiment was echoed in the preventive measures detailed by SAWS, emphasizing pressurized pipelines to avoid contamination during breaks. Yet, the incident in Reynolds, Georgia, where asbestos-cement pipes led to contamination above EPA limits, underscores the dilemma faced by municipalities grappling with aging infrastructures. "I think they should be replacing them as quickly as they can."

The EPA maintains that water with less than 7 million asbestos fibers per liter is safe, a standard that San Antonio's tests have consistently met. Nonetheless, the plan to replace these old pipes seems to address both the practical issue of leaks and mains breaks as well as the rising public health concerns.