Though lead pipes have been outlawed in the United States since 1986, many older homes in the region may still have lead service lines connecting their properties to the water main. This is sometimes true, even if the building’s owners have long since replaced all of the lead pipes in their households.
That’s why the Northern Kentucky Water District is continuing efforts to document service line materials, like lead, throughout its service area.
The efforts are part of the water district’s updated materials inventory, which is occurring in response to revisions in the EPA’s lead and copper pipe rule. The rule began in 1991 to reduce the amount of lead and copper in drinking water service lines.
Service lines can be made of several different materials, including copper, plastic and galvanized steel, but the district is especially interested in lead service lines.
Last week, the water district participated in the EPA’s “Get the Lead Out” (GLO) program, which utilizes contractor teams to inspect unidentified service lines at properties nationwide. GLO teams spent last week documenting unidentified service lines in Covington, which contains many old houses. You could spot a GLO team by their reflector vests and their water district badges.
Among the service lines identified last week, lead was the second most common material, after copper; contractors identified 26 lead service lines out of the 97 lines they documented last week.
They visited even more properties but were unable to document the service line materials due to the occupant being out or failing to get permission to enter the premises. In those cases, GLO teams taped flyers on people’s doors with instructions on how to self report.
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Totals Total Locations 179 150 178 74 581 Plastic 1 2 1 3 7 Copper 15 16 25 5 61 Galvanized 0 1 2 0 3 Lead 13 5 8 0 26 Not Accessed 150 126 142 66 484 Total IDs 29 24 36 8 97
The water district confirmed with LINK nky that it’s in the process of getting approval for another round of door knocking later this year.
The water district has been trying to update its inventory since at least last year. The service line connects a property owner’s privately-owned pipe networks to public infrastructure.
The portion of the water line from the public water main to the meter belongs to the water district. The rest belongs to the property owner, who is responsible for updating any materials therein. For meters found inside, the water district is responsible for any pipes up to either the curb stop or property line if there is no curb stop.
“When water leaves NKWD’s treatment plants, it does not contain lead. The potential for lead in drinking water is primarily from possible leaching from your building’s plumbing and service lines,” said Northern Kentucky Water District President and CEO Lindsey Rechtin last year. “We are required to provide treatment that minimizes the corrosivity of the water. We do this by adjusting the pH and using a safe additive, a corrosion inhibitor, that protects the pipe material and helps lower the potential for lead to be released into the water.”
You can self-report your service line material at nkywater.org. You can also check to see if your service line has already been reported by consulting the water district’s interactive online map.