Special to IFN
In response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent Lead and Copper Rule Revision, the City of Statesville has initiated a comprehensive program to ensure water customers are further protected from potential lead and copper exposure in their drinking water.
This new program focuses on identifying and assessing water service lines throughout the city, specifically targeting homes built in or before 1986 that may contain lead piping or solder.
“Providing safe, reliable drinking water is our highest priority,” said Bill Vaughan, Public Utilities director. “The goal of this initiative is to identify potential lead materials in water service lines and to provide guidance to our water customers if such materials are found.”
The use of lead pipes and solder was banned in 1986. Homes built prior to 1986 have a higher chance of containing these materials, which could leach into the water as it passes through the pipes. Homes built after 1986 are exempt from the new inventory requirements.
The EPA’s revised rule requires that the city assess all water service lines and identify them as one of three categories: lead material, galvanized metal, or non-lead materials such as copper, PVC, or iron. Galvanized metal does not contain lead but could increase the risk of lead, according to the EPA.
To comply with the EPA’s rule and gather accurate information, the City of Statesville is using multiple methods to inventory service lines, including reviewing historical records, conducting physical inspections, and offering an online survey where residents can report the type of piping material in their homes.
“Our water is lead-free when it leaves the treatment plant,” explained Vaughan, “and the city’s water chemistry is managed in such a way as to minimize the potential for lead to enter the water from service lines that contain lead material. Even so, there is a chance that lead can potentially enter the water through older service lines and plumbing in homes. That’s why this inventory is so critical.”
As part of the service line inventory process, the city will mail letters to water customers the week of November 11. These letters are required by the EPA and will be sent to customers with service lines that have been identified as lead or galvanized material, and to customers whose service lines have not yet been assessed.
Customers whose service lines have been identified as non-lead materials will not receive a letter or require further action.
To date, over half of the 14,500 water service lines connected to the city’s water system have been assessed. Of those assessed, the city has identified about 800 galvanized metal service lines and zero lead service lines.
The EPA requires that the inventory process be completed by November 2027. At that time the EPA requires the city to implement a plan for the replacement of any lead service lines, as well as some galvanized lines.
LEARN MORE
For more information on the Lead and Copper Rule Revision or to participate in the service line inventory, visit www.statesvillenc.net or call 704-768-5555.