There is no safe level of exposure to lead. The Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), first promulgated in 1991, was designed to reduce exposure to lead through drinking water. The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule Revision, issued January 15, 2021, and effective December 16, 2021, reduces the risks of lead exposure by better protecting children at schools and childcare facilities, reducing lead in drinking water, and empowering communities through information. Enhancements under the new rule include:
- Using science-based testing protocols to find more sources of lead in drinking water.
- Establishing a trigger level to jumpstart mitigation to reduce lead exposure earlier and in more communities.
- Driving more and complete lead service line replacements.
- Requiring testing in schools and childcare facilities.
- Requiring water systems to identify and make public the locations of lead service lines through a comprehensive service line inventory.
The compliance deadline for submitting inventories to the regulating agency is October 16, 2024. EPA intends to further strengthen the rule by the promulgation of the Lead & Copper Rule Improvements before October 16, 2024.
To aid public water systems in developing their inventories and reduce submittal errors, DEQ created an inventory template for our water systems.
Learn more about revisions and improvements to the LCR on EPA’s website at https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/revised-lead-and-copper-rule and EPA’s factsheet.
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The Service Line Inventory Template is the document required to be used by Idaho public water systems when submitting service line inventories.
The first tab in the template includes required information fields for contact and water system-specific details, the second tab is the service line inventory, and the third tab contains details about the sheets and regional and health district contact information.
For more information, please watch for Service Line Inventory Template [INSERT LINK] training video.
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The Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) requires all community and non-transient, non-community public water systems to sample at locations that may be particularly susceptible to high lead or copper concentrations per the “Rules for Public Drinking Water Systems” (IDAPA 58.01.08.350.07).
The LCR establishes a tiering system for prioritizing sampling sites based on a materials evaluation. Most existing water systems conducted this survey in 1992 but would benefit from conducting the survey again as materials may have changed. New water system owners and operators must perform a materials evaluation before lead and copper tap monitoring. The Lead and Copper Sample Site Selection form defines the monitoring requirements and tiering system for prioritizing sampling sites and includes a site selection certification form for submittal to DEQ.
Systems should rely heavily on their inventories to identify appropriately tiered sampling sites.
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Drinking Water Compliance and Enforcement Supervisor