As part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is conducting free service line inspections to identify lead and galvanized water service lines for its customers.
SAWS has removed any lead service lines it encountered since the 1980s. Because of these efforts, SAWS believes that most lead service lines have already been removed and replaced from the utility-owned side of the system. However, the new EPA requirement to identify lead issues on the customer side will help ensure the safety of drinking water nationwide.
Beginning on Oct. 16 and throughout the following weeks, customers who are identified in SAWS service area with unknown, lead, or galvanized service lines, can expect to receive a letter from SAWS informing them of their status. Customers who have opted in for email communications with SAWS, will receive an email. Customers who are identified as having lead-free service lines, will not receive a letter or email.
SAWS customers with homes built before 1989 that register on saws.org/lead may be eligible for a free inspection. SAWS will contact eligible customers to schedule their inspection and complete the proper paperwork.
“There are more than 600,000 customer service lines in San Antonio, more than half of which are made of unidentified service line materials,” said Kirstin Eller, SAWS Potable Water Quality Supervisor. “This monumental task requires an extensive effort that can only be achieved by physically going to our customers’ homes and inspecting service lines individually – which is why we need their help.”
To properly identify the type of service line material in a customer’s yard, SAWS may need to conduct a physical inspection of the line within the customer’s property. This could include digging a hole, known as potholing, a meter box inspection, or investigating exposed pipes in crawl spaces.
Customers can also conduct the inspection themselves, or with the help of a licensed plumber, and then submit the required information and documentation. This information will help SAWS build its service line inventory which will be published online beginning Oct. 16.