Cities can lower the amount of lead dissolving into residents’ water either by making their water less acidic by adjusting pH levels or adding orthophosphate to the water, which creates a protective film inside plumbing reducing the amount of lead that leaches into the water. A pilot program to begin sometime this year will look at using orthophosphate in both Regina and Moose Jaw as a way to mitigate risks of lead service connections (LSCs) present in both cities. “I am assuming there is benefit, but we have to confirm that there is,” said Ryan Johnson, president and CEO of the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant in an interview Thursday.