Protecting our customers’ health and safety is our highest priority. As such, Cal Water supports U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) efforts to strengthen the Lead and Copper Rule through Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), and are committed to meeting all federal and state water quality standards.
Yesterday, the Biden-Harris Administration announced findings from its review of the Jan. 15, 2021 LCRR. The review found that there are opportunities to take additional regulatory and non-regulatory steps to further lead risk reduction. These opportunities include:
- Re-evaluation of the action and trigger levels
- Re-evaluation of the tap sample compliance data set (perhaps including both 1st- and 5th-liter lead concentrations in those calculations when samples are drawn from homes with lead service lines)
- Provisions that would result in all lead service lines being replaced as quickly as is feasible
- Provisions to prioritize the removal of lead service lines in historically disadvantaged communities
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends for information to be submitted in the initial lead service line inventory, and to publish the new Lead and Copper Rule Improvements by October 2024.
We believe that water providers have a responsibility to identify and promote replacement of lead service lines once these pipes are discovered, and that a proactive tap sampling program is an important step in safeguarding public health. That’s why we completed lead testing at all public schools in our service areas ahead of the 2019 deadline and continue to seek participants in our residential lead testing program.
We follow all state and federal regulations for lead and copper monitoring to determine how any lead-based fixtures in household plumbing may impact water quality, and implement corrosion control whenever testing indicates it is necessary. We also actively work to eliminate any remaining lead-bearing materials from our distribution system and conduct annual lead and cooper tests to ensure water quality meets all regulations. We are compliant with California State Health and Safety Code 116875, which has called for the installation of lead-free materials in public water systems since its enforcement date of January 1, 2010.
We proactively maintain and upgrade our system to ensure that water circulates adequately and that the system operates properly. Additionally, before we ever begin using a new source of supply, we conduct thorough water quality testing.
If you are interested in more information about your local water quality, including any detections for lead, you can find it in your annual Consumer Confidence Report.
If you would like to be added to our lead and copper monitoring program, you may contact us to join the participant list at no charge if your property meets certain qualifications. If you would like to have you water tested more immediately, you can contact a certified lab. (A current list of accredited laboratories can be viewed on the State Water Resources Control Board’s interactive map.)