Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR): Service Line Material Inventory

Lead & Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR): Service Line Material Inventory

The Sudbury Water District is dedicated to providing our customers with the highest quality of drinking water. The material of each building’s water line within our water system is vital to ensuring that customers are getting the cleanest water possible. One of the ways we can ensure the quality for all customers is through a Water Service Line Inventory.

In 2021 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule, called the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) which went into effect October 16, 2024. These revisions include a new requirement for Public Water Systems, to create and maintain a Service Line Inventory, make it accessible to the public, and to notify customers with service lines that contain or may contain lead.

If you recently received a Public Notice from Sudbury Water District stating, that your home or business is served by “unknown service line material” or may be served by “lead or a galvanized service line material” the LCRR mandates that public water suppliers identify and inventory the material connected to our drinking water system.

We encourage you to call our Service Line Material Inventory Hotline at 978-639-4303 or email WaterQuality@SudburyWater.com to schedule a quick inspection to identify the pipe material entering your home or property.

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The Sudbury Water District is taking steps to comply with EPA’s new Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. To support this compliance, the District hired a consultant to assist in reviewing our water system records and identify lead or galvanized water services. If your property has been identified as having unknown service pipe material or a galvanized water service, you will receive a letter from us that includes steps that you can take to reduce your risks of lead exposure. If we have been unsuccessful in identifying your service line material based on our records review, we will send you a letter requesting your assistance in determining your water service material. If you do not receive a letter, you should assume that you do not have a lead or galvanized service pipe, and that no further action is required. Letters will be sent out by November 15, 2024.

Over the next several years the District will be making a concentrated effort to remove all lead and galvanized water services from the water system and classify all unknown services. More information will be released on this program when available.

At Sudbury Water District, we are committed to serving our community with courtesy, efficiency, and environmental sustainability. We deeply appreciate our customers and thank you for your continued support.

Opportunities to Verify Service Materials

If you have received a letter for unknown, galvanized or lead service material, please follow the instructions on the notification letter to indicate your self-assessment results (using the MassDEP Lead Service Line Identification Tool) and we may contact you once we receive your assessment, requesting access to your property to verify. Once we confirm that your service is neither lead nor galvanized, we will remove you from the scheduled notification list. No further action on your part will be required.

Step 1: IDENTIFICATION

There are more than 6,200 unique service lines connected onto the District’s public water supply, and records indicate that most of them are made of copper. A small percentage may be made of plastic, galvanized steel, iron, or lead. To identify your service line material yourself, please take the following steps.

Find your water meter, which is typically located in the basement.
Look for the pipe that comes through the outside wall of your home and connects to your water meter.
Evaluate the color of this pipe. Does it appear to be plastic or metal? (See photos below)
If the pipe appears to be metal and you cannot determine the material by color alone, place a strong magnet on the pipe.
1. If the magnet sticks, your pipe is likely galvanized steel or iron.
2. If the magnet does not stick, your pipe is likely copper or lead.
  1. Copper pipe is identifiable from lead by its color but may have normal buildup on the outside of the pipe so a closer visual inspection may be necessary to see the copper color that is similar to a penny.

Note: Please DO NOT attempt to scratch your service line for identification purposes. Depending on the material, this may damage the pipe and result in a leak.

Step 2: TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR SERVICE LINE AND UPLOAD

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has created a web-based application for consumers to submit information on their service line material to their public water supplier. You can access the Mass Lead Service Line Identification (MA-LSLI) Web App by visiting the following link – https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/f9ee39b7972f443ca63e8b936cd7f92b. The app may be accessed on any mobile device, tablet or computer with internet access and does not require you to download anything.

All you need to do is take a photo of your service line, upload it to the app’s website and answer a few basic questions. Be sure to select Sudbury as the City/Town and Sudbury Water District (PWS ID: 3288000) as your public water supplier to ensure your submission is received.

If you have a lead or lead-lined galvanized iron service, please know that we are developing a replacement plan to be implemented within the next five years. We will keep you updated on the project’s progress as information becomes available.

For any questions, please contact our Service Line Material Inventory Hotline at 978-639-4303 or email waterquality@sudburywater.com.

Lead Service Line Identification Form/Interactive Map

Please utilize the MassDEP Lead Service Line Identification Tool to send your service line information to the Sudbury Water District: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/f9ee39b7972f443ca63e8b936cd7f92b

For More Information

Click the image above for the EPA’s lead service line page

What is lead?

Lead is a toxic metal found in nature and can get into your body by eating food, drinking water, accidentally swallowing soil and dust, or breathing air that contains lead.

What is a lead service line?

A pipe made of lead that connects your home to the water main in the street.