Water lines at Naval Support Activity Naples’ Support Site in Italy will be inspected in February to see whether there is a potential problem with lead contamination. (Erik Slavin/Stars and Stripes)
NAPLES, Italy — Officials at the Navy’s largest base in Italy are determining whether pipes carrying water to homes, child care centers, schools and other facilities at the installation may pose a higher risk of lead contamination.
Water lines at Naval Support Activity Naples’ Support Site appear to be made of galvanized steel or an unknown material, base commander Capt. John Randazzo wrote in a Dec. 4 letter to consumers living on or doing business at Support Site and about 55 tenant commands.
Lead particles that have attached themselves to the surface of galvanized steel pipes can enter the water over time, resulting in increased lead levels, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Further investigation is needed to determine if any service lines require replacement,” Randazzo said in the letter, which was also posted to the base’s Facebook page.
NSA Naples discovered the issue while fulfilling obligations of a revised EPA rule requiring water systems to inventory their lines and notify people of any that have or may have lead. Water systems were required to start complying with the revised rule on Oct. 16.
In February, NSA Naples will inspect the lines at Support Site, evaluating each one’s connection point with a main water pipe and at the point where it enters a building, the base said Tuesday in a statement.
It’s unclear what actions might be taken following that survey, but officials said the site’s water system complies with EPA rules regarding lead and copper.
“People living in homes with a galvanized service line that has adsorbed lead may have an increased risk of exposure to lead from their drinking water,” Randazzo wrote.
Water lines at the base’s Capodichino site, about 18 miles from Support Site, were not affected, the base said Tuesday.
There is no safe level for lead, a toxic metal that can have serious health impacts. Those effects are more pronounced in children and include behavioral problems, lower IQ and slowed growth, according to the EPA.
The agency requires water systems to take action if water samples show lead levels exceeding 15 parts per billion. A 2023 water quality report for NSA Naples showed an overall lead level of two parts per billion.
However, officials told parents in December 2021 that water tested from some sinks in the installation’s elementary and middle/high schools, child care centers and a few other facilities had lead levels at 15 parts per billion or higher.
To address the issue, the base cleaned or replaced faucet aerators, replaced fixtures and took other corrective actions, according to the notification letters.
Lead commonly enters drinking water through corrosion of pipes, fixtures and faucets. Galvanized steel pipes typically have been dipped in zinc that contains lead to prevent rust and corrosion, according to a September report from the Maryland-based nonprofit Environmental Policy Innovation Center. The risk of lead exposure can be reduced by regularly cleaning or replacing faucet aerators and running water for a few minutes before using for drinking or cooking, according to an EPA fact sheet online.
Hot water is more likely to contain higher levels of lead, so people should use only cold water for drinking or eating, including in the preparation of baby formula, the fact sheet states.
