On December 22, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the first major update to the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) in nearly 30 years. One key component of this update is the requirement for public water systems to develop an initial service line inventory by October 16, 2024. Establishing an inventory of service line materials and identifying the location of any lead components is a necessary foundation for removing lead and protecting public health.
WHAT IS A Service line?
A service line is the pipe that brings water from the water main in the street into a building, and generally consists of two parts; the “public” side, which runs from the main to the curb stop and the “private” side, which runs from the curb stop into the building.
WHAT materials are service lines made of?
District staff began proactively developing our initial service line inventory in early 2022 by reviewing available records, consulting with current and former staff, and conducting field identifications during meter replacements and other site visits. We have also requested property owners to self-identify materials and have conducted field verification by digging up the service line. This work will continue as we work towards achieving a complete inventory in the coming years.
Based on this review, copper and plastic are the most common service line materials. Galvanized iron was used historically but represents a small percentage of the more than 6,400 service lines in our community. There are no known lead service lines in our distribution system, however, we do have galvanized requiring replacement service lines. These are galvanized steel service lines which currently have or previously had a lead connector, or “gooseneck”, a short flexible piece of lead that connects the service to the water main.
MY SERVICE LINE MATERIAL IS UNKNOWN OR GALVANIZED REQUIRING REPLACEMENT, NOW WHAT?
On November 13, 2024, we distributed over 3,000 notices to water users that have unknown or galvanized requiring replacement service lines. Copies of these notices, including one asking that tenants in a multi-unit building be informed of this information are available below:
Galvanized Requiring Replacement (GRR) Service Line
Unknown Service Line (UNK) Material
The U.S. EPA has developed the following Important Resources for Safe Drinking Water to provide guidance on reducing lead exposure. The presence of unknown material or galvanized requiring replacement does not definitively mean lead in drinking water is a concern or coming from the service line. Our Summer 2024 newsletter has an article discussing water quality results from 60 sites throughout Acton that demonstrates relatively low lead concentrations in customer taps.
Have all service line materials been identified?
While we have made progress in developing our initial inventory, data gaps remain on both the public and private portions of the service line.
To help fill in some of these gaps, the District invites our customers to use the Mass Lead Service Line Identification (MA-LSLI) Web App. This web-based application was developed by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) for consumers to submit information on their service line material to their public water supplier. You can access the MA-LSLI Web App by visiting the following link - https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/f9ee39b7972f443ca63e8b936cd7f92b .
The app may be accessed on any mobile device, tablet or computer with internet access and does not require you to download anything. All you need to do is take a photo of your service line, upload it to the app’s website and answer a few basic questions. Be sure to select Acton as the City/Town and Acton Water Supply District as Your Water Supplier to ensure your submission is received.
How Do i self-identify the material of my service line?
- Find your water meter, which is typically located in the basement.
- Look for the pipe that comes through the outside wall of your home and connects to your water meter. (Note: You may need to wipe this pipe with a rag to remove dust, etc.)
- Evaluate the color of this pipe. Does it appear to be plastic or metal? (See photo below)
- If the pipe appears to be metal and you cannot determine the material by color alone, place a strong magnet on the pipe.
- If the magnet sticks, your pipe is likely galvanized iron.
- If the magnet does not stick, your pipe is likely copper.
Please do not attempt to scratch your service line for identification purposes. Depending on the material, this may damage the pipe and result in a leak.
What if i am unable to identify the material myself?
If you are having difficulty identifying your service line material or navigating MassDEP’s web app, you can schedule a service line identification appointment with a District staff member instead. To do so, please send an email to Katy Orciuch with “Service Line ID Appointment” in the subject line and include your name and address in the body of the email.
We look forward to your interest and participation in this important water system inventory project!
