Pascoag Utility District and Harrisville Water Department recently sent out notices to some of its customers with “lead status unknown” service lines to inform them of possible lead exposure. A service line is labeled as “lead status unknown” if there isn’t enough information to show whether it is made of lead, galvanized metal (which also needs replacement), or a non-lead material. In Rhode Island, under the Lead Poisoning Prevention Act (LPPA), any unknown lines are treated as lead service lines until proven otherwise. Between 2010 and 2021, Pascoag Utility District’s Water Department began creating a record of service line materials on the homeowner’s side when installing AMR water meters to locate and replace any lead or galvanized pipes. Of Pascoag’s 1,100 water customers, only fourteen lead service lines were identified and replaced with grant funding. In 2014 Harrisville’s Water Department created a database of pipe materials on the private side of customer’s service lines as they installed new AMR water meters. Two lead service lines were discovered out of an estimated 1,000 customers. However, new state and federal rules, including updates to the LPPA and the federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), now require public water systems to report service line materials on both sides of the curb stop and submit this report to the Rhode Island Department of Health by October 16, 2024.
Pascoag Utility District and Harrisville Water Department are working to meet these guidelines by creating a detailed record of service line materials, both on the homeowner’s side and on the public side that connects to the water main. Pascoag and Harrisville plan to identify the material of each “lead status unknown” service line over the next ten years and will replace any lines found to contain lead. In the meantime, customers who received a letter, are encouraged to reduce lead exposure by requesting a free water filter and flushing their taps. Pascoag Utility District and Harrisville Water Department are dedicated to protecting public health and ensuring clean, safe drinking water for everyone.
