Lead Service Line Inventory
On December 16, 2021, after a public comment period, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), the first significant changes in over 30 years. The EPA's new rule, referred to as the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), aims to strengthen the LCR to better protect children and communities from the risk of lead exposure.
The EPA identified priority improvements from the LCRI:
- Proactive and equitable lead service line replacement (LSLR);
- Strengthening compliance to tap sampling to better identify communities most at risk of lead in drinking water and to compel reduction actions; and
- Reducing the complexity of the regulation through improvement of the action and trigger level construct.
All community and non-transient non-community (NTNC) water systems were required to develop an initial inventory of service lines that meets LCRR requirements, including service line materials classification and information sources, for both the public and private portions of every service line, and submit their lead service line inventories to the state.
Throughout 2024 the PUD conducted service line inventories for each of the five largest community water systems within the District (Riverview, Sandy Shores, Sunvale, Riverbend, and Metaline Falls). The PUD reached out to its customers through phone calls, emails, letters, and talking directly with the PUD's Water System Operators to help with pipe material identification. Thank you to all who participated in this effort, we very much appreciate it! On or before October 16, 2024, the PUD provided its initial inventory reports to the state as required.
In summary:
- The majority of the service lines inventoried have been classified as lead free with the rest classified as unknown material.
- The PUD has not found any service lines containing lead, but will continue to reach out to water customers to help us with pipe material identification.
- These annual reports are required by the EPA and the Washington State Department of Health Office of Drinking Water.
- Customers with an unknown material service line will receive a required notification letter and/or email from the PUD in the coming weeks.
To view the reports, please utilize the links below.
If you have questions about the survey or if you have any information that may be helpful, please contact the PUD's Lead Water System Operator, Rusty Gill. Thank you.
Rusty Gill
Lead Water System Operator
509-447-3137