Service Line Inventory - Lead Service
October 24, 2024
Perkasie Regional Authority's water mains are not made of lead, but the water lines inside your home may be.
Perkasie Regional Authority is asking for your help to identify the material of the service line entering your property. Having accurate information about the service line material will allow PRA to develop an inventory of all service line material, as required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP), and to better plan for and implement replacement projects more efficiently across the community, if needed.
This information will help PRA limit property disturbances in our efforts to verify service line materials in order to comply with federal and state regulations. However, there may be circumstances where PRA will need to pursue further investigations (i.e., in-house appointments, excavating a portion of a service line) depending on the availability of information and records related to service line material. PRA thanks all customers for their understanding and support as PRA works to comply with all federal and state regulations.
For any questions about lead in your water, call us at (215)-257-3654.
What is the Water System Doing About Lead in Drinking Water?
PRA has, since the late 1990’s, been injecting a food grade polyphosphate into the distribution system. This polyphosphate acts like a buffer and attaches to the inside of the water mains and service lines and prevents the leaching of the main, or service line, material into the water.
PRA has launched a community-wide project to identify the material of each customer's service line. This project is important to help avoid public health issues associated with exposure to lead in drinking water by guiding future lead service line replacement efforts. It is also required by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) regulations for PRA to inventory the material of each customer's service line, regardless of whether it is lead or a different material. PRA must also identify whether there are any lead connectors (the short section of piping that connects the service line to the water main, also known as a gooseneck or pigtail) present that should also be replaced.
PRA is also required to identify schools and certified childcare facilities within its service area and conduct lead monitoring (i.e., by sampling drinking water) at these facilities. This continues to be a priority for PRA and will continue to contact schools and certified childcare facilities for lead monitoring in accordance with federal sampling frequency requirements.
The federal government required that public water systems use "lead-free" material through its 1986 amendments to the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments. These requirements were implemented at the state level in Pennsylvania through The Plumbing System Lead Ban and Notification Act, effective January 6, 1991 (often referred to as the "state lead ban"). If you live in a home built after January 6, 1991, it is unlikely that you have lead material in your service line or home plumbing. It is still important that PRA documents the material of your service line to comply with federal and state guidelines.
Because some homes within PRA's service area were built before January 6, 1991, these homes have a higher risk of having a lead service line or lead in other plumbing components. While PRA believes the use of lead service lines in the water distribution system was very rare, it is important to identify and replace any lead service lines to protect public health. Service lines that are galvanized steel and are currently or were previously downstream of lead materials (e.g., in the water main, service line, or connector pipes) can also be a source of lead in drinking water due to upstream corrosion. These galvanized steel lines (called "galvanized requiring replacement") should also be replaced. Service lines that are copper but were installed before the lead ban may contain lead solder. You should consider testing your water for lead if you have an older copper service line to determine if lead exposure is a concern and whether replacement is necessary.
Source of Lead in Drinking Water
The Perkasie Regional Authority's (PRA) drinking water sources are five groundwater wells drawing from the Perkiomen Creek Watershed and the Three Mile Run Watershed. PRA's water is lead free when it enters the distribution system, but lead can enter drinking water when water distribution and plumbing materials that contain lead corrode. Corrosion is the dissolving or wearing away of metal caused by a chemical reaction between water and plumbing materials. Perkasie’s water mains are not made of lead. The lead in drinking water is primarily from service lines (the pipe that connects the water main in the street to your property) and home plumbing.
Service line Ownership and Responsibilities
A water service line is typically a small section of pipe that connects a water main in the street to a home or other property. PRA owns the drinking water mains in the street as well as the service line between the water main and the curb stop. The service line connects to the water main via a short section of pipe called the connector (also commonly known as a gooseneck or pigtail). The curb stop is typically located at or near the property line and provides access to a valve used to turn water service on and off to the property. The property owner owns and is responsible for the service line from the curb stop into the building. The system-owned and customer-owned service lines are separate pieces of pipe and may be made of different materials.
Drinking Water Supply Quality
The Perkasie Regional Authority (PRA) is committed to ensuring each of our customers has safe, high-quality drinking water that is also compliant with all government standards. PRA routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws.
According to the 2023 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report, 0 out of 30 Perkasie Regional Authority drinking water sites contained enough parts per billion of lead to be above the EPA action level, which is a measure of how effective treatment controls are.
The report provided in 2023 includes details about our water sources and volume, what the water at your tap contains, and how it compares to standards set by our regulating agencies. We are pleased to report that PRA was in complete compliance with all water quality criteria in 2023. We want our customers to be informed about their water quality.
Public Health Effects of Lead in Drinking Water
Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems.
Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing.
PRA is responsible for providing high-quality drinking water but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to two minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the EPA Lead website.
To read more about lead in drinking water visit the Department of Environmental Protection website.
What if I Have Lead Pipes?
Websites commonly have information on how customers can reduce their exposure to lead. Systems also tend to include information about how customers can request water quality testing and water filtration devices. Systems may want to review their internal capacity to manage requests for water quality testing and water filtration devices (as well as the current regulatory requirements) before including such language on their websites; however, systems should also be prepared for the possibility that customers will contact them with questions about testing or filtration devices. It is important to note that providing water quality testing and filtration devices are regulatory required in certain cases (see the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions Communication Requirements section above), but some systems offer these services to customers more generally, going beyond regulatory requirements. Sample public education language focused on reducing exposure to lead in drinking water is included below in italics.
If you have a lead service line or believe you may have interior plumbing that is lead, you can take the following steps to reduce your exposure to lead in drinking water:
- Use cold water for drinking or cooking. Never cook or mix infant formula using hot water from the tap. Boiling water will not remove lead.
- Make it a practice to flush your pipes to remove lead before consuming drinking water, especially after long periods of no use (i.e., a few hours or overnight). You can flush your pipes by running your tap for several minutes, taking a shower, doing laundry, or doing a load of dishes.
- It is safe to shower and bathe even if you have a lead service line as long as you do not consume the water. Human skin does not absorb lead in water.
- Routinely clean faucet screens (also known as aerators, these are the small faucet tip attachments that regulate water flow). Sediment and metals can collect in the faucet screen located at the tip of your faucets. Replace screens that are in poor condition.
- Consider using a point of use (POU) drinking water filter to remove impurities from drinking water. Check for a POU filter that has been tested against the NSF/ANSI Standard 53 and has a claim of lead reduction and make sure to follow its instructions for replacing filters regularly. See EPA’s guide for identifying POU filters.