Iola water customers recently received a survey included in their water bill. City staff are asking residents to assist them in gathering information regarding the plumbing in their homes. This is the latest requirement the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has requested of all public water systems in the U.S.
On Jan. 15, 2021, the EPA created the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) — an addendum to the Lead and Copper Rule of 1991 that requires public water systems to reduce hazardous levels of lead and copper in drinking water. Public entities were to respond to the 2021 request by Oct. 16, 2024.
Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span, reports the EPA. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or worsen existing learning and behavior problems.
The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems.
The release of the revisions was partially motivated by the lead water contamination disaster in Flint, Michigan, when almost 100,000 residents were exposed to lead poisoning from April 2014 to October 2015. Under the revisions, it’s estimated that about 40% of large water systems may have to conduct line replacements.
The LCRR is intended to help water systems identify areas most impacted by contamination hazards; strengthen requirements for drinking water; replace lead service lines; improve the reliability of water sampling; improve water systems’ communication of contamination risk to the public; and reduce the chances of contamination in schools and daycare centers.
THE MAILED survey is the first step in the process. With it, the City of Iola will be required to develop a lead service line inventory and make it publicly available. This is where the customer’s help is requested.
The city’s goal is to survey what material is currently being used for their customer’s water supply inside their structure. The survey included in the water bill asks customers to identify their pipe material as either metal (lead, copper, or galvanized steel), or plastic.
“Right now, we’re just gathering information,” said Iola City Clerk Roxanne Hutton. “The EPA and state are just trying to see what is out there.”
The lead service line inventory allows municipalities to know where there is potentially hazardous piping, to take the steps needed to replace it, and to share this information with the public. The city’s deadline for the inventory is Oct. 16.
The Revisions Act alone doesn’t go as far as actually requiring water systems to replace lead pipes. However, the proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements recommended in November 2023 does. It proposes replacing 100% of the nation’s lead pipes in 10 years.
The improvements are currently a “proposed rule.” Before the EPA finalizes a drinking water regulation, it publishes a proposed rule to get feedback that it will consider when developing a final rule.
The proposed rule is being shared with the public to provide an opportunity for all stakeholders — from drinking water consumers to water systems to public health professionals — to share their feedback. Input on the proposal can be shared by submitting a comment at www.regulations.gov. The public can share feedback until Oct. 16.
HUTTON said she is unsure what the next step will be after the line inventory. “The state hasn’t really said,” she noted. “I’m not sure how they are going to require replacement of the lead pipes in homes. The city sure can’t pay for them.”
The EPA’s timeline states notification of known or potential service lines containing lead must be given to customers within 30 days of survey completion. This notification will have to be repeated on an annual basis until the entire service connection is no longer lead.
