The Lead and Copper Rule is a federal regulation established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Safe Drinking Water Act to protect public health by minimizing lead and copper levels in drinking water. These metals can enter water supplies primarily through the corrosion of plumbing materials, posing significant health risks, especially to children and pregnant women. The primary objective of lead and copper regulations is to protect public health by reducing exposure to lead and copper in drinking water.

 

Lead and Copper regulations require public water systems to optimize their treatment to reduce corrosion in pipes and plumbing, conduct regular sampling at high-risk locations (e.g., homes with lead pipes or older plumbing), notify customers if lead levels exceed the action level, prioritize addressing lead exposure in schools, childcare facilities, and underserved areas, develop and maintain a publicly accessible inventory of service line materials for all customers and replace all lead service lines in the water system.

 

Fortunately for Hardy County PSD customers, all HCPSD water systems are lead-free on the utility owned portions of the water system. This is known because all HCPSD water systems were constructed after the federal government banned the use of lead in plumbing materials in the United States in the late 1980’s.

 

Recent revisions to the EPA’s lead and copper regulations now require public water systems to also ensure that there are no lead plumbing materials in place on the customer-owned portion of the service line. Hardy County PSD has worked to develop a lead service line inventory that details the material makeup of every service line in Hardy County through means such as customer surveys, visual inspections, construction dates and installation records to ensure no lead service lines are present in any Hardy County PSD water system. All Hardy County PSD customers who installed a new service line from the water meter to the building served can be certain they have a lead-free service line due to the federal lead ban occurring before the HCPSD started serving its first customers.

 

Any Hardy County PSD customer with information on the material makeup of their privately owned service line, that hasn’t previously provided that information to the HCPSD, should contact the PSD with that information. Lead service line inventories for all Hardy County PSD customers can be viewed by contacting the HCPSD at 304-530-3048.

 

For more information, contact Hardy County PSD or visit the EPA’s website at www.epa.gov.