Posted by Stacy Silva on Monday, January 6, 2025
You may feel like you are swirling in a sea of unknowns: How will the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) implement the finalized Lead and Copper Rule improvements (LCRI)? How will I address my remaining unknowns in my service line (SL) inventory? What is the best way to communicate all of these requirements and engage my community? Or even, what is the service line inventory, and where do I start?
If you’re feeling this way, you’re not alone – there are a lot of unknowns! But, even with these unknowns, there are some KNOWN steps that you should be taking. Here’s what we know now and what you can focus on:
1. Start your inventory if you haven't already.
Have you received a notice from PA DEP that you didn’t submit a SL inventory but are unsure of what it is and where to start? Our Lead Team is knowledgeable and stays up-to-date on the latest lead and copper regulations, including the recently promulgated LCRI, and can help get you into compliance. Our partnerships with PA DEP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provide additional support and answers to your specific situations and questions.
We also have a great inventory database system that can help with bulk imports for easy data uploads, avoiding tedious manual data entry. Your supporting documentation can be stored and organized electronically for easy access during PA DEP audits and future use by your water system staff. With the successful PA DEP submission of dozens of separate SL inventories, our team and inventory database are a proven solution.
2. Continue addressing your unknowns and update your SL inventory!
Congratulations! You’ve submitted your initial water service line inventory and sent out your public notices, but it doesn’t mean pencils down and you’re done! Those remaining service lines of unknown materials need to be identified and addressed. By continuing to lower the number of your remaining unknowns, you will continue to address service line inventory requirements and be better prepared for potential service line replacements of lead and galvanized requiring replacement (GRR).
There are many ways to identify unknown SL’s. Historical documentation reviews, mechanical excavation, water sampling, and statistical modeling are a few ways. Don’t forget our handy Non-Lead Service Lines Flow Chart as a helpful resource. New technologies are also emerging. We recently announced our partnership with Electro Scan and their Swordfish technology.
In May 2024, PA DEP approved Swordfish as a stand-alone service line materials identification method. Swordfish uses electronic conductivity to identify the material of a service line via a probe that runs the length of the service line, accessed through the meter location (i.e., both utility-owned and customer-owned portions of the service line).
Our partnership with Electro Scan provides start-to-finish support services including homeowner notification and site visit coordination, complete service line investigation and material identification via Swordfish, and seamless transfer of test results/service line material reports into your Entech-hosted SL inventory database.
Learn more about Swordfish's innovative technology by watching the video below.
3. Begin planning for service line replacements (if needed).
Per the LCRI, all lead and GRR service lines will need to be replaced within 10 years, and a Service Line Replacement Plan will need to be submitted in 2027. A tool like our GIS Dashboard can help you plan and prioritize the continued investigations of service line material identifications and the replacement of lead and GRR lines. The GIS Dashboard can be a useful tool to visualize and manage SL inventory data more effectively.
4. Start looking into funding to help with costs!
Did you find lead and/or GRR service lines? Are you looking for ways to pay for service line identification and/or replacements? There are federal and state funding options available!
5. Get the word out about getting the lead out! Communication is key.
Avoid confused or angry calls from your water service customers and begin communicating early! Newsletters, bill inserts, social media, websites, or even town hall meetings are great ways to get the word out about getting the lead out to your community! GIS planning tools, as mentioned above, can be great for customer communication! The data and visuals can be customized for public outreach education, including information on the system inventory and replacement progress.
No matter where you are in your service line inventory and/or replacement journey don’t be paralyzed by the unknown. Stay focused on what you know now and what you can do to make progress. Entech and our Lead & Funding Teams have the tools and know-how to support every step of your service line inventory journey! Contact us today to learn more.
Categories: Municipal Infrastructure
Tagged: Potable Water | Regulations | Revised Lead & Copper Rule (RLCR)