The City of Webster City values our residents and businesses and has become aware of reports and concerns regarding pinhole leaks in copper pipes. The city is investigating the reports and has been working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Iowa Rural Water Association (IRWA), and its contracted water/wastewater engineer Bolton and Menk to identify any potential cause(s) and their sources.
The DNR works with all public water suppliers in Iowa to ensure Iowans have safe water to drink. The water treated by the city has been, and continues to be safe to drink. We are in frequent communication with the DNR regarding monitoring of our water quality and treatment process and continue to partner with them as we investigate this issue. The IRWA is an organization dedicated to enhancing Iowa’s water and provides technical and expertise assistance to cities across the state. The city is also maintaining frequent communication with IRWA as we navigate this issue.
The city is actively working with local, state and national partners and professionals across different disciplines to investigate the issue further. We continue to collect, review and discuss information and technical data with our partners to identify the cause(s) and their sources; however, at this time it is not clear what the cause(s) of the reported pinhole leaks in copper pipes, also referred to as copper pitting, are yet. Please understand that based on our research to date, this is an issue that appears to possibly be affecting residents in other communities as well, however, at this time it is unknown if the scenarios are similar or not.
We are mindful of the impact some residents and businesses are experiencing. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be a simple answer to this challenge our community is facing. The city is taking all necessary steps to determine the underlying cause(s) and their sources, and will keep the community abreast as additional information becomes available. We sincerely appreciate everyone’s patience as we navigate this issue together.
Download a copy of the official press release
Last modified: October 14, 2021