To the Editor:

I read with interest the recent story regarding asbestos cement water pipes, and the need for testing the water [“Altamont’s asbestos-cement water pipes safe, says DPW super,” The Altamont Enterprise, Nov. 15, 2021]. Allow me to make a few observations.

Superintendent of Public Works Jeff Moller maintains there is no need to test the water for asbestos, following a recent asbestos cement water-main break on Schoharie Plank Road West, because a biofilm builds up on the inside of the asbestos-cement water pipe, acting as barrier between the pipe and the water supply.

The story contains a link to a 2002 Environmental Protection Agency study entitled “Health risks from microbial growth and biofilm in drinking water distribution systems.” The 52-page report doesn’t not specifically mention asbestos-cement water pipes, but it does state, “Contamination and material in the biofilm may subsequently be released into the flowing water under various circumstances. As a result, biofilms can act as a slow-release mechanism for persistent contamination of the water.” 

In 1985, there was so much asbestos in the water of nearby Woodstock, that strainers in faucets and showerheads were clogged with fibres. A 2004 study entitled “Woodstock asbestos exposure registry population” states, “The source of the asbestos fibres was asbestos-cement (AC) pipes installed in the town water system in the mid to late 1950s.” 

Why didn’t the biofilm act as a barrier in neighboring Woodstock?

Several Government of Canada studies indicate that asbestos fibres, from old asbestos-cement pipes will eventually enter the water. The 2011 study entitled “Biodeterioration of asbestos cement (AC) water pipe in drinking water distribution systems” very clearly states that the fibres do enter the water:

“The recalcitrant asbestos fibers within the deteriorated cement matrix become an interwork of asbestos fibres and quartz particles. At this stage, the AC pipe loses its structural strength and becomes fragile. A minor disturbance, such as pressure changes from water hammer, can result in a release of biofilms and asbestos fibers into the drinking water, causing a health concern.” 

Why wouldn’t the same thing happen in the case of this community?

The EPA requires communities to test for asbestos in water. A 1995 EPA Fact Sheet says the long-term health effects of ingested asbestos are “lung disease; cancer.” Of course they are.

Residents have a right to demand that their water be tested for asbestos, and a right to know whether their homes, schools, and businesses are being serviced by old asbestos-cement water pipes.

Julian Branch

Regina, Saskatchewan

Editor’s note: Julian Branch is a journalist who has written about problems with asbestos cement pipes in Canada.

See related story and editoral.