The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions went into effect last month, part of national efforts to ultimately replace lead pipes. The new rules required water supplies to identify all service lines in their systems, and make the information publicly accessible.
After an extensive, multi-year survey of its own water lines, Lake County Public Works discovered that out of its 20,000 customers, just one has lead piping. Lake County residents can now use an interactive map on the LCPW’s website to check their service lines.
The updated EPA rule revisions also establish a lead trigger level and increased monitoring requirements. If 10 parts-per-billion of lead is detected, homeowners will be notified, LCPW will begin an investigation into the cause and establish recommendations for reducing those levels.
There were also increased public notification requirements for when lead levels exceed 15 ppb, requiring the LCPW to conduct find-and-fix activities and additional sampling.
LCPW Operations Manager Christine Morris praised the efforts from across the department to establish the inventory of their pipes. The county was “very fortunate” to have newer infrastructure, she said.
“It was a lot of effort from our engineering team, maintenance team and administration operations,” she said. “We put a lot of work into doing the research and finding out all the data so it could be as accurate as possible.”
Modern pipes today typically use copper or PVC, Morris said.
Lead, while malleable and sturdy, poses serious health risks. It can permanently damage the developing brains of children and contribute to heart disease, kidney failure and other health problems later in life.
The findings were especially good news in a state infamous for its usage of lead pipes. Although the installation of lead pipes has been banned since 1986, Chicago has more than 400,000 lead pipes remaining, more than any other city in the country. Across Illinois, more than a million lead service lines pose potential health risks to residents, according to EPA data.
