The EPA's Lead & Copper Rule has been finalized and will impact most water systems. The Water Department must have an inventory of the materials of each water service line in our community. This means not only the city-owned portion but also the customer-owned portion. The inventory must be completed by October 2024. There are approximately 5,600 water services for us to inventory. Currently, we have sent two mailings to obtain the customer-owned water service line types. At present, we are nearly 50% complete with this part of the inventory. The remainder will be collected on a door-to-door basis. It is required that we have a complete inventory and it must be updated annually. So, if a city or customer water service is replaced, we will need to know to update the inventory moving forward.
The city-owned water service line inventory is much easier for us to complete as we have meter pits that require a copper or plastic service line, so no lead water service lines are involved. We have a record of the material type for all water services that are not meter pits. We also have good records to confirm what type of water service line material was originally used on the City-owned service lines, however, no records were ever kept of the customer’s water service line because it was not previously required.
Service lines that must be replaced in full include lead service lines and galvanized steel pipes which have or have had a lead pipe installed upstream. Once the inventory is complete, the City will report how many, if any, lead service lines still exist. If the inventory reveals that lead lines do remain, a plan to replace them will be developed. The plan would be required to be passed by the City Council, which would involve public hearings or other opportunities for the public to weigh in.
This rule is very complex and will also require that we sample every licensed daycare, as well as public and private schools every 5 years. The sample collection criteria will also be changing so many of our customers will probably not be collecting their water samples as in the past, but will likely require an employee to collect the sample or provide training to show the customer how to collect the sample.
If you have not yet reported your service line material, please do so by returning the paper form or completing the form at our website. If you do not complete the survey, or your returned survey indicates that your material type is unknown or lead, the Water Department will need to verify the material at your home or business location. The Water Department will begin door-to-door contacts this winter.