The St. Louis Region’s largest water utility company is asking its customers to help them find potentially dangerous lead pipes in the system.

According to a report by the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Missouri American Water has sent emails or letters to approximately 200,000 residential customers in St. Louis County and St. Charles County, offering help in identifying lead or galvanized pipes at their homes and offering to replace them, with no direct charge to property owners.

Missouri American says the water is safe to drink, and that it is treated with safeguards including a “corrosion inhibitor,” intended for lead pipes.

The Post reports that the precise location of lead pipes within the Missouri American system is “uncertain”, but the “scale is known to be significant.” Officials say so far, they have removed about 1/3rd of the pipes, but identified another 1/3rd to likely be removed.

Homeowners also have the option to identify their pipes on their own by contacting Missouri American for assistance.

Back in 2021, Missouri American established a goal of purging lead from its water systems by 2030