A number of Northern Kentucky Water District customers will soon receive a notification by mail regarding their water service line material.
The required notification is issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s revised Lead and Copper Rule.
“These notifications will alert the owner whether their service line material is lead, galvanized downstream from lead, or unknown material, which we have to consider as lead until we know otherwise,” said Northern Kentucky Water District President/CEO Lindsey Rechtin. “It will also provide additional resources and information about lead for our customers.”
This is the second year that the Northern Kentucky Water District has sent notifications to customers.
“We have been working diligently over the past year to identify the material types of the unknown lines, which make up the majority of our required notifications,” noted Rechtin. “We strongly encourage our customers to take the time to identify their material and report it to us. Knowing where the lead service lines are in our system helps us plan and apply for funding to assist with replacement.”
The service line is the small line that connects your house or building to the public water main. A portion of the service line from the water main to the water meter is owned by the Northern Kentucky Water District. The remainder is privately owned. The water district is required to build an inventory for both sides of the service line.
The district has created a service line inventory map where customers can search for information about both the private (customer-owned) and public (water district-owned) portions of a service line. It can be found here.
When water leaves the water district’s treatment plants, it does not contain lead. The potential for lead in drinking water is primarily from possible leaching from a building’s plumbing and service lines. The water district is required to provide treatment that minimizes the corrosivity of the water, which is done by adjusting the pH and using a safe additive, a corrosion inhibitor, that protects the pipe material and helps lower the potential for lead to be released into the water.
If you have questions or concerns for Northern Kentucky Water District regarding lead in drinking water, please contact (859) 578-5451 or via email at SLI@nkywater.org
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