Lead service lines: From inventory to replacement planning and programs

Fall is here, which means the U.S. EPA deadline for utilities to complete water service line inventories is just around the corner. Communities around the country have been working hard to complete those inventories. While this is an important step, there is a lot more to come. As water systems get closer to completing their service line inventories, it’s time to look forward to the next stage of Lead & Copper Rule compliance: the Lead & Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI).

Unless your community has been able to prove that lead has never existed in its system as a service line material, the next step is to plan for and develop a service line replacement program to remove all lead and galvanized requiring replacement service line pipes from your water system.