Connect with us

Delaware

University of Delaware study IDs 2,000 century-old lead pipes in Wilmington

Published

on

University of Delaware study IDs 2,000 century-old lead pipes in Wilmington


From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

Hidden beneath Wilmington’s streets for nearly a century, lead pipes have quietly carried water through thousands of homes. But thanks to a recent effort led by University of Delaware researchers and students, the city now has a clearer picture of how widespread the old pipes are, and what needs to happen next.

A team of environmental engineering students, working under Gerald Kauffman, director of the University of Delaware Water Resources Center, conducted careful research into historic city records.

“Out of the 70,000 [connections], the bottom line is working with the city’s consultant, the city’s Department of Public Works and the students, they found that 2,000 of the pipes of the 70,000 are lead,” Kauffman said.

Advertisement

The findings mark a crucial step in identifying and replacing hazardous pipes that could pose health risks to residents.

The unfortunate legacy of lead, why these pipes still exist

The use of lead in water pipes dates back to the late 19th century, when it was a preferred material due to its durability and flexibility.

“Going back to the first water pipes that were actually installed in Wilmington in the late 19th century before the turn of the 20th, many of the pipes were lead. That was a material that was easily molded, and little was known about the health effects,” he said.

Congress banned the use of lead pipes in new construction in 1986. But older cities — particularly in the Northeast — still have remnants of these outdated systems. Last year, the Biden administration issued new rules through the EPA that would require old lead pipes to be replaced.

Most modern homes and renovations now use safer materials like copper, while older neighborhoods remain at risk.

Advertisement

Exposure to lead in drinking water has been linked to serious health issues in a child’s development, including neurological damage. Kauffman pointed out examples like the Flint Michigan’s water crisis that underscored the dangers of lead contamination, making identification and replacement of these pipes a high priority.

How UD students helped map Wilmington’s lead problem

The project began when Wilmington’s Department of Public Works approached the University of Delaware Resources Center for assistance. Using decades-old, handwritten public records, students worked to identify where lead pipes were most likely located.

“The idea was to go through the maps that the city has, and we have GIS maps in our office in Newark, and go through all the repair books, the plumbers, the inspectors that the city would send out to work with the homeowners to fix the pipes,” Kauffman said, describing it as a tedious process. “This is physically pouring through these old, handwritten plumbing repair records, and cursive writing and abbreviations … some of these go back to 1926.”

The findings were significant — not just in scale, but in their impact on cost-saving efforts. Instead of the city having to dig up lawns and streets to locate lead pipes manually, the students’ work provided a targeted list of affected homes.

“My estimate is that the students saved the city about $15 million,” he said.

Advertisement



Source link

Delaware

Comcast Xfinity cable down: TV streaming outage hits New Hampshire, Texas, Delaware, Wyoming and Maine

Published

on

Comcast Xfinity cable down: TV streaming outage hits New Hampshire, Texas, Delaware, Wyoming and Maine


Comcast’s Xfinity cable service is down for thousands of people in the United States on Monday afternoon.

Representational image. (X)

More than 12,000 users are reporting the outage with the cable service run by NBC’s parent company, according to Down Detector, a platform that tracks such outages based on users’ reports.

Much of the outages seemed to be concentrated in New Hampshire, Texas, Delaware, Wyoming and Maine, according to the outage map shown on Down Detector.

According to Down Detector, 77% of the customers reported issues with the cable TV services, 12% with the broadband internet and 8% with TV streaming.

Advertisement

Also read: Who is Dasha Kilpatrick? Texas healthcare worker’s row with Muslim women at HEB store viral

Comcast Xfinity Outage Map

The map of Comcast’s Xfinity outage showed that urban centers across the country were affected. It included cities in the east and west cost, north and southern states and well as parts of central US.

The map showed outage reports concentrated in Boston, New York City, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami and large parts of Florida.

In the north, Minneapolis and Chicago reported the most outages. While in the South, Houston was affected. Customers from Denver also reported a significant number of outages.

In the east coast, most outages were reported up north. Portland Salem and Seattle reported a large number of outages. Additionally, the areas around San Francisco and Carson City reported outages.

Advertisement

Here’s the map of the Comcast outage per Down Detector, as of 4:28pm ET.

Comcast’s Response

As of now, Comcast or Xfinity has not acknowledged that the issue is widespread. The X account of Xfinity support is replying to queries on social media, asking customers to message them their service ID.

Also read: Alaska coast guard helicopter crash: MH-60 Jayhawk goes down in Sitka, search and rescue crews responding

For instance, one such post on X read: “Hello! Thank you for contacting the Xfinity support team. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience due to the service interruption. Please DM us with your first and last name and your complete service address, so we can assist you further.”

Thus, those seeking a solution to the problem may send their service details and the disruption that is happening to Xfinity.

Advertisement

Comcast’s Xfinity is one of the largest cable and broadband services in the US. It serves around 11.27 million traditional cable TV customers in the Unites States. Its broadband user base is approximately 31.25 million strong.

This is a developing story.



Source link

Continue Reading

Delaware

6 Delaware trails perfect for a summer stroll

Published

on

6 Delaware trails perfect for a summer stroll


play

Looking for a nice stroll this summer?

These six trails have been recognized as some of the best in Delaware.

Advertisement

New Castle County trails

Michael N. Castle Trail at the C&D Canal 

  • Length: 8.7 miles
  • Surface: Paved

Named for former U.S. Rep. and Gov. Mike Castle, the trail follows the C&D Canal’s north shore. It can be walked, biked and even traversed by horseback. It had four trailheads: Delaware City, St. Georges, Biddle Point and Summit Bridge.

Mill Creek Greenway Trail

  • Length: 3.8 miles
  • Surface: Paved

The trail, popular with dog walkers, winds through the woods of Pike Creek. Its eastern trailhead starts across from the Delcastle Driving range on Mill Creek Road and continues to the western trailhead near the tennis courts of the North Pointe neighborhood.

Kent County Trails

Pondside trail at Killens Pond

  • Length: 2.6 miles
  • Surface: Packed earth

The Pondside trail is an easy-to-moderate hike that has numerous side connector trails that can get you views of Killens Pond. The trail can be accessed via the main parking lot, the Nature Center parking lot or the overflow lot on the south side of the campground.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

  • Length: 12 miles driving; various length walking trails
  • Surface: Mixed

The Wildlift Drive at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge can be driven, biked or walked, though there are also five walking trails along the wildlife drive. The shortest are a quarter-mile and lead to towers, while the longest is 2.7 miles. The car entrance is on Whitehall Neck Road, with walking trails accessible from various spots within the refuge.

Sussex County Trails

Gordons Pond Trail

  • Length: 5.2 miles
  • Surface: Mixed

The trail connects Lewes and Rehoboth and passes the western side of Gordons Pond, a 900-acre saltwater lagoon. Northern access begins at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes at the Herring Point parking area. The southern end of the trail begins at the Gordon Pond parking area in Rehoboth Beach.

Prickly Pear Trail Delaware Seashore State Park Fresh Pond

  • Length: 3.5 miles
  • Surface: Mixed

The Prickly Pear Trail is great for exploring Fresh Pond and taking in scenic views of the Indian River Bay. The trail can be traversed by foot, bike and seasonally, by horseback. Connector trails at the north and south ends of Fresh Pond provide access to the southbound Route 1 bike and pedestrian lane.

Advertisement

Got a story tip or idea? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com.



Source link

Continue Reading

Delaware

Serious Injuries, DUI Charges: What Happened Friday Night in Sussex County

Published

on

Serious Injuries, DUI Charges: What Happened Friday Night in Sussex County


The Delaware State Police have obtained an arrest warrant for 36-year-old Angel Morales-Ortiz of Georgetown in connection with a series of crashes that left a Seaford man seriously injured Friday evening.

According to investigators, the incidents began at approximately 7:30 p.m. on June 19 when Morales-Ortiz, driving a Jeep Comanche, was traveling northbound on Middleford Road approaching Old Furnace Road. As he turned onto eastbound Old Furnace Road, the Jeep crossed into the westbound lane and sideswiped a Ford F-150 that was stopped at the intersection.

Police said Morales-Ortiz left the scene and continued eastbound on Old Furnace Road at a high rate of speed while committing multiple traffic violations. At the intersection of Coverdale Road, the Jeep reportedly backed into the front of a Toyota Camry before maneuvering around stopped traffic and continuing eastbound.

The series of events ended near Cokesbury Road when the Jeep crossed into the westbound lane and collided head-on with a Ford Fusion. The Fusion’s driver, a 20-year-old Seaford man, was transported to a hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the Toyota, a 25-year-old woman from Bishopville, Maryland, and her passengers were not injured. The driver of the Ford F-150, a 33-year-old Milford man, and his passenger were also uninjured.

Advertisement

Troopers contacted Morales-Ortiz at the scene and reported observing multiple signs of impairment. He was flown by the Delaware State Police Aviation Section to a hospital with serious injuries. During a search of the Jeep, investigators said they found multiple open containers of alcohol. A records check also showed Morales-Ortiz’s driver’s license was suspended. Troopers subsequently obtained a warrant for a blood sample while he was being treated at the hospital.

Upon his release, Morales-Ortiz is expected to be charged with first-degree vehicular assault, two counts of leaving the scene of a property damage collision, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while suspended or revoked, and multiple related traffic offenses.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending