Water pipeline inspection process to begin for property owners
Water system operators required to check customer service lines for lead pipes
WARREN COUNTY, NY -- Warren County wants to make sure its residents have clean, safe drinking water. And to do that, water system operators around the county are asking property owners to check water pipelines leading to homes and businesses to confirm there are no lead materials present, as required by a federal mandate.
The good news is homeowners or property owners can quickly perform this check themselves, and easily report the results via a new website created by Warren County Department of Planning & Community Development.
Those who do not perform the check will be contacted by their water system operators to notify them of requirements of this new federal program and arrange an inspection if needed.
These requirements stem from the 2021 Lead and Copper Rule Revision (LCRR) issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which requires water system operators to create an “inventory” of water service pipeline materials in their service territory. The service pipeline is the pipe that brings water from the water main into your home, and the EPA mandates that municipal water authorities take inventory of service pipeline material for near future replacement of lead service pipelines. Lead is poisonous and can cause serious health problems.
The new website Warren County created, which can be found at warrencountyny.gov/servicelineinventory, has an online form for reporting pipe test results to water system operators, as well as information to guide property owners through the process to quickly determine their service pipeline material.
Those with questions about this process should contact their water system operator.
If you do not know how to contact your system operator, the new county website includes contact information for all public water systems in Warren County. (Diamond Point Water District customers do not have to perform the test, as the water district staff there have made other arrangements.)
The new Warren County webpage also has information about the inspection process, requirements and more.
Said Don Coalts, Acting Chief Water Plant Treatment Operator for the City of Glens Falls: “The goal of this effort to is to make sure that the water pipelines connected to our homes are safe. Thankfully we have good, clean water here in Warren County that does not contain lead, and ensuring that the last section of pipe at your home is safe is important as well.”
Many Warren County residents use private wells for their water supply. Those who use private wells can also perform the pipeline check, and based on the results, determine what steps to take for their home water lines.
They are not required to report their findings, but should remediate lead pipes as soon as possible.
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