Clear River Electric & Water District recently sent out notices to some of its customers with “lead status unknown” service lines to inform them of possible lead exposure. A service line is labeled as “lead status unknown” if there isn’t enough information to show whether it is made of lead, galvanized metal (which also needs replacement), or a non-lead material. In Rhode Island, under the Lead Poisoning Prevention Act (LPPA), any unknown lines are treated as lead service lines until proven otherwise. Between 2010 and 2021, Clear River Electric & Water District’s Water Department began creating a record of service line materials on the homeowner’s side when installing AMR water meters to locate and replace any lead or galvanized pipes. During that time, all identified lead pipes were replaced with grant funding. However, new state and federal rules, including updates to the LPPA and the federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), now require public water systems to report service line materials on both sides of the curb stop and submit this report to the Rhode Island Department of Health by October 16, 2024.
Clear River Electric & Water District is working to meet these guidelines by creating a detailed record of service line materials, both on the homeowner’s side and on the public side that connects to the water main. CREW plans to identify the material of each “lead status unknown” service line over the next ten years and will replace any lines found to contain lead. In the meantime, customers are encouraged to reduce lead exposure by requesting a free water filter and flushing their taps. CREW is dedicated to protecting public health and ensuring clean, safe drinking water for everyone by following state and federal regulations.
Educational Resources:
Read a Text Description
The diagram shows an underground water service line running from the water main beneath the street to the interior plumbing of a home. A curb stop at the property boundary divides the service line into two sections. Clear River Electric & Water District is responsible for the public side, which runs from the water main to the curb stop. The property owner is responsible for the private side, which runs from the curb stop to the water meter and the home’s interior plumbing.
Read a Text Description
The EPA infographic explains that lead can enter drinking water from several parts of a home’s water service line and plumbing:
- A lead service line is the pipe connecting the water main to a home’s interior plumbing. It can be a major source of lead contamination.
- Lead particles can attach to galvanized pipes and later enter the water.
- Copper pipes may have been joined with lead solder. Solder made or installed before 1986 contained high levels of lead.
- Faucets and other fixtures inside the home may contain lead.
- Lead goosenecks and pigtails are short sections of pipe that may connect the service line to the water main.
The infographic recommends several ways to reduce exposure:
- Use only cold water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula. Boiling water does not remove lead.
- Regularly clean faucet screens, also called aerators.
- Consider using a water filter certified to remove lead, and replace its filter cartridge as directed.
- Before using water for drinking, flush the pipes by running the faucet, taking a shower, doing laundry, or running the dishwasher.
- Have the water tested to determine whether it contains lead.
The infographic also explains that water systems must replace lead service lines when required under EPA standards. Replacement is often the shared responsibility of the water utility and the homeowner. Homeowners should contact their water system to learn how to have a lead service line removed.
Lead exposure in the home can also come from sources other than drinking water. Homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint. Residents concerned about lead exposure should consider having the paint tested and asking a doctor whether their children should be tested for lead.
More information is available at epa.gov/safewater.