Service Line Inventory & Lead Awareness

The Public Utilities Department (PUD) prioritizes public health and is committed to providing safe drinking water that meets all state and federal requirements. In recent years, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has focused on strengthening some of these requirements such as those for lead. Lead is a natural element that was once used in a variety of products including paint and plumbing. It’s important to know that lead does not naturally occur in our source water nor does it come from our drinking water treatment plant.

In 2021, the EPA revised the 1991 Lead and Copper Rule to strengthen the existing regulations and improve public health protections by focusing on identifying and removing lead service lines. A service line is a water pipe that connects a home to the public water main and carries water from the main to the faucets, toilets, and other fixtures within a home. As required by the EPA, water utilities across the country were tasked with identifying the water service line material on both the utility and customer sides of the meter in a Water Service Line Inventory. 

The PUD has been working since 2021 to identify over 42,000 service lines based on historical records, field verifications, and predictive modeling. The PUD inventory process indicates that there are no lead service lines in the system. All the service lines are non-lead. Non-lead means that the service line is made of copper, PVC plastic, or another non-lead material. You can access the Water Service Line Inventory Here. Search your address to determine the water service line material at the meter.

Water Service Line Inventory Map

We know you have questions and have listed a few here to help build your knowledge and awareness. 

What is lead?

Lead is a natural element that was once used in a variety of products, such as paint, gasoline and even plumbing. Lead exposure has physical and behavioral effects on the body and is most impactful to young children and pregnant women. Due to these health effects, the federal government began limiting its use in the 1980s. Thanks to strict standards the amount of lead in air, drinking water, soil, consumer products, food, and occupational settings has been greatly reduced. Because lead can persist in the environment, raising awareness in the community on how to reduce exposure is a key component of promoting public health.

Does Athens-Clarke County's water contain lead?

No, lead does not occur naturally in our source waters – Middle Oconee River, North Oconee River, and Bear Creek Reservoir. The water leaving the J.G. Beacham Drinking Water Treatment Plant is lead-free and continues to meet or exceed all drinking water quality standards set by state and federal regulations. Also, thanks to a rigorous water main and meter replacement program, Athens-Clarke County’s water distribution system contains no known lead piping.

Where does lead come from?

The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes and fittings on service lines to homes and businesses as well as in interior plumbing. Lead can leach into drinking water when the pipes and fixtures containing lead corrode. Although lead pipes were banned in Georgia in 1986, some homes may still contain these plumbing systems.

How does the Public Utilities Department keep lead from leaching into the water?

The key to keeping lead from leaching out of lead fittings and pipes into water is to reduce the corrosiveness of the water. At the J.G. Beacham Drinking Water Treatment Plant, we follow strict corrosion control techniques during the treatment process which coats the inside of pipes and minimizes the contact water makes with the pipe material. This prevents corrosion of metal pipes and prevents lead from leaching from home plumbing systems into the water.

Also, per federal regulation, we test “at-risk” plumbing systems within our distribution system and report our findings in our annual Water Quality Report. Results of this testing have consistently shown that our corrosion control measures are working as we have consistently met state and federal regulatory standards.

How is lead in drinking water regulated?

In 1991, the EPA published a regulation to control lead and copper in drinking water. This regulation is known as the Lead and Copper Rule (also referred to as the LCR). Since 1991 the LCR has undergone various revisions. Currently, the rule requires utilities to test tap water from a sampling of homes in the county. Lead levels should be below 15 parts per billion (ppb) for 90 percent of the samples tested.

In 2021, the EPA revised the rule to strengthen the existing regulations and improve public health protections by focusing on the identification and removal of lead service lines. This is called the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) and has a compliance date of October 16, 2024. The EPA announced an update to the LCRR, the proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), on November 30, 2023. The LCRI is expected to have a compliance date of October 2027 and focuses on further strengthening protections, lowering the Action Level to 10 ppb, and improving customer outreach and public education.

What is the Public Utilities Department doing now?

Per regulations, the PUD developed a service line inventory that identifies the pipe material for both the utility and customer sides of the service line. Further, the PUD is optimizing its corrosion control treatment in preparation to meet the LCRI slated for compliance in 2027. In addition to the inventory, we will continue to test homes throughout the county and report our findings in our Water Quality Report.

What can I do to help protect my family if I have concerns about possible lead in drinking water?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these are steps you can take if you are concerned about lead in drinking water: 

• Use only cold water for drinking or cooking. Never cook or mix infant formula using hot water from the tap.
• Before using water, let it run from each tap for a while. Do not consume water that has sat in your home‛s plumbing for more than six hours.
• Clean your faucet’s screen (also known as an aerator) regularly. Sediment, debris, and lead particles can collect in your aerator, and can eventually get into your water.
• Review your service line material when the inventory is available.
• Use a filter that meets NSF Standard 53. Additional information can be found here:  Consumer Tool for Identifying Point-of-Use and Pitcher Filters Certified to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water | US EPA. 

We will continue to share information and updates regarding the service line inventory and testing as they develop. To learn more about lead, please visit the EPA Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water website.