CUSTOMER INPUT NEEDED TO COMPLETE AN INVENTORY OF ALL WATER SERVICE LINE PIPES
Capital Region Water is asking all drinking water customers to complete an online survey about the water service line coming into their home or business. Assistance with the survey will help to ensure compliance with new regulatory requirements. Capital Region Water remains committed to providing safe, reliable, high-quality drinking water to customers and consumers.
Recent lead and copper rule revisions from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) have been implemented to further reduce the risk of lead exposure from drinking water. The update requires that water service providers build a complete inventory of pipes and service lines in their systems. Service lines are the customer-owned pipes connecting their home or business to the public water main in the street.
All customers who receive their drinking water from Capital Region Water are asked to complete the brief survey. Instructions to locate your water service line and identify the material are provided. Regardless of the pipe material and property details, Capital Region Water needs your response.
“The water Capital Region Water supplies is lead free”, said Charlotte Katzenmoyer, CEO of Capital Region Water. “We routinely test for lead and copper throughout our service territory. Samples are taken directly from customer faucets. But we do know that older homes may still have lead pipes or plumbing fixtures containing lead solder. We need your help in gathering more information to develop projects that will further protect the health of those we serve.”
Capital Region Water has already taken proactive steps to develop and maintain an informal service line inventory having used historical records, on-site investigations, and regularly completed GIS updates on rehabilitation/replacement projects within the distribution system. Now, Capital Region Water is taking the inventory a step further with the deployment of an interactive customer survey to collect information on the service line materials in customer’s/consumer’s home service line.
The new lead and copper rule revisions require all community water systems to submit a service line inventory to PA DEP by October 2024. The inventory will help identify and prioritize the replacement of high-risk materials that could potentially be a source of lead in drinking water.
This survey, once completed by 20,000+ customers, will be used to develop an online, interactive map that shows not just the locations, but also materials, of the service lines in the entire system from main to household. Capital Region Water is proud to report that the most recent lead and copper testing results showed that they met and exceeded all state and federal drinking water standards. The 90th percentile lead level was 0 parts per billion, which well is below the action level of 15 parts per billion. Capital Region Water will continue to test for lead and copper every three years as required by the regulations. The next sample set will begin in 2025.
To learn more about lead and your drinking water, including steps to minimize potential exposure, please visit our website at: Lead Prevention – Capital Region Water.
The survey, along with instructions on how to test pipe material, can be found at: Lead and Copper Inventory- Customer Survey (arcgis.com).