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Door Hanger Outreach And Incentives Did Not Induce Water System Customers to Participate in Lead Water Pipe Inspections

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  • Gazze, Ludovica
  • Klemick, Heather
  • Parthum, Bryan
  • Wolverton, Ann

Abstract

The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized regulations to require water systems to replace millions of lead pipes with safer alternatives for carrying drinking water into U.S. homes. Before replacing them, public water systems must first identify where these lead service lines are located due to incomplete inventories and a lack of historical records. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate an intervention that targeted properties with unknown pipe material in Trenton, New Jersey—a community with older housing stock and a high concentration of people of color, renters, and households experiencing poverty. The intervention included two treatments: door hangers with information about a self-inspection process that allowed residents to submit a photo of their service line; and similar door hangers offering gift card incentives upon submission of a self-inspection photo. These treatments did not motivate residents to participate in a self-inspection of their service lines. Well under 1% of treated addresses participated in a self-inspection, including those offered the highest gift card incentive of $100.

Suggested Citation

  • Gazze, Ludovica & Klemick, Heather & Parthum, Bryan & Wolverton, Ann, 2024. "Door Hanger Outreach And Incentives Did Not Induce Water System Customers to Participate in Lead Water Pipe Inspections," National Center for Environmental Economics-NCEE Working Papers 348904, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:nceewp:348904
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.348904
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Heather Klemick & Ann Wolverton & Bryan Parthum & Kristin Epstein & Sandra Kutzing & Sarah Armstrong, 2024. "Factors Influencing Customer Participation in a Program to Replace Lead Pipes for Drinking Water," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 87(3), pages 791-832, March.
    2. Alex Hollingsworth & Ivan Rudik, 2021. "The Effect of Leaded Gasoline on Elderly Mortality: Evidence from Regulatory Exemptions," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 13(3), pages 345-373, August.
    3. Deniz Dutz & Michael Greenstone & Ali Hortaçsu & Santiago Lacouture & Magne Mogstad & Azeem M. Shaikh & Alexander Torgovitsky & Winnie van Dijk, 2023. "Representation and Hesitancy in Population Health Research: Evidence from a COVID-19 Antibody Study," NBER Working Papers 30880, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Ferrie, Joseph P. & Rolf, Karen & Troesken, Werner, 2012. "Cognitive disparities, lead plumbing, and water chemistry: Prior exposure to water-borne lead and intelligence test scores among World War Two U.S. Army enlistees," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 98-111.
    5. Anna Aizer & Janet Currie, 2019. "Lead and Juvenile Delinquency: New Evidence from Linked Birth, School, and Juvenile Detention Records," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 101(4), pages 575-587, October.
    6. Deniz Dutz & Michael Greenstone & Ali Hortaçsu & Santiago Lacouture & Magne Mogstad & Azeem M. Shaikh & Alexander Torgovitsky & Winnie van Dijk, 2024. "Nonrepresentativeness in Population Health Research: Evidence from a COVID-19 Antibody Study," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 6(3), pages 313-323, September.
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