Water Service Line Update on the Customer Notification of “Lead Status Unknown”

Water Service Line Update on the Customer Notification of "Lead Status Unknown"

In accordance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule, City of Lancaster Water customers recently received a notice regarding the status of their water service line. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) provided a template letter for this notification. Water service lines have two parts - the City-owned side and the customer-owned side. According to PADEP protocols, a water service line can only be classified as "non-lead" if two forms of verification exist for both the City and customer sides. At this time, the City has only one form of verification for each side: a customer-provided photo or a City-maintained curb card. Therefore, if two forms of verification are not available for both the City side and the customer side, the service line is classified as "lead status unknown." Even if customers submitted clear service line photos, the line must be classified as "lead status unknown" until the second form of verification is available.

To complete the verification process, the City is using a model called LeadCAST Predict as the second means of verification. The LeadCAST model uses computer machine learning and data analysis to predict the material status. Once the LeadCAST model is calibrated, there will be a second form of verification. More information on the model can be found at https://www.trinnex.io/products/leadcast.

Only customers whose service lines were 1) installed after January 6, 1991 or 2) have a water service line greater than 2 inches received a letter that their water line status is not lead. If you submitted a photo showing a copper line, you would have still received a letter because the other necessary data is not yet available. It will take time to calibrate the model. In turn, records on the City-owned side of the service line may not exist from the time the water line is installed and the City would still have to classify the line as "unknown lead status." The EPA is allowing utilities to classify the service line based on one means of verification with a statistical second check on a portion of the lines. PADEP will be finalizing its regulations soon. The PADEP website information can be found at www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Water/BureauSafeDrinkingWater/DrinkingWaterMgmt/Regulations/Pages/Lead-and-Copper-Rule.aspx.

Thank you again for submitting a photo of your lead service line. If you have not yet taken a picture of your side of the water line, please register your side. Go to www.cityoflancasterpa.gov/lead-service-line and select the "Verify Your Water Service Line Material" tab for instructions.