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Opinion: EPWater reassures customer on lead pipe inspections [1]

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Date: 2024-09-27

By John Balliew

With an Environmental Protection Agency deadline approaching, El Paso Water and other municipal utilities across the nation are preparing to deliver an initial inventory of service lines in water systems.

John Balliew

In response to the EPA’s revised lead and copper rule, our crews have fanned out across El Paso to identify the pipe material used on both the utility and customer side of the water meter. Specifically, our employees are focusing on inspecting service lines installed before 1989, when lead pipes were restricted in Texas, and service lines where records do not mention the type of pipe material used.

Based on our investigation to date, copper is the most widely used material for service lines in our system. We have not located any lead pipes, but our work continues until we know the material of every last line in our system.

Water quality assurance

We remain confident in our efforts to ensure superior water quality to El Paso because we have been taking precautions all along.

When drinking water leaves our treatment plants, it is free of lead and meets all water quality requirements. In cities where lead pipes were installed, lead can be a risk if pipes corrode because it compromises the quality of drinking water.

In El Paso, we have successfully applied corrosion-control methods to our pipes for decades. In addition, we conduct more than 370,000 tests annually to ensure the safety of our drinking water. We also monitor lead levels in our system via our ongoing lead sampling program, with results year-after-year showing levels well below limits set by the EPA.

In the rare occurrence that we find lead, it will likely be traced to an older home where lead was used in plumbing, solder and fixtures.

As of Oct. 16, we will submit a list of all identified service line materials in our system to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The initial inventory will include many unknowns as we continue inspections as part of our lead investigation program. Any lead service lines that are found must be replaced.

As we make progress in our inspections, we are encouraged by the absence of lead so far. The results look promising.

More information

Next month, we will begin notifying customers by mail of our findings. A lead service line inventory map, searchable by address, will also be available on our website. The interactive map will feature results. An “unknown” designation just means our crews have not yet inspected the line. We hope to complete inspections of all lines over the next year.

I salute our hard-working EPWater employees dedicated to this monumental effort. Whether entering mountains of data or inspecting pipes in the unrelenting heat, it matters a great deal to this team to give our customers peace of mind. Because of their efforts, we are making progress in determining the pipe material for the 220,000 service lines in our system.

We take pride in the water we serve and invite our customers who have concerns about water quality to call our Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 915-594-5733. If you have any lead level concerns, we will test your water upon request. We also produce an annual Water Quality Report, available to our customers at epwater.org.

John E. Balliew is president and CEO of El Paso Water. He is a registered professional engineer and has worked at the utility for more than 40 years.

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[1] Url: https://elpasomatters.org/2024/09/27/opinion-el-paso-water-lead-pipe-inspections/

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