Information on EPA Service Line Notification Letters

October 29, 2024

Recently, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made national headlines with its announcement that it is requiring the replacement of all lead and galvanized water service lines across the United States. This week, the Lakewood Public Works Department sent out notification letters to affected property owners with the language provided by EPA.

What do I need to do if I received a letter?

If you received a letter, no immediate replacement is required. This letter is simply to inform you of your property’s service line material. Ultimately, the service line will need to be replaced within the EPA timeline.

If your letter indicates that your service line material is Unknown, we ask that you please use the guide below to identify the material and report this information to us by calling (216) 529-6087, as we are required to report this information to EPA each year.

If your service line is made of a material other than what is indicated in the notification letter, we ask you to please provide this information to us by calling (216) 529-6087.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the City of Lakewood Doing?

 Prior to the recent EPA announcement, the City of Lakewood has been actively implementing its long-term goal of eliminating lead and galvanized service lines in Lakewood over the past five years. This work involves the City installing copper service lines to replace both city-owned lead and private side lead and galvanized service lines when we encounter them during ongoing water main replacements, repairs, and other infrastructure projects. The new EPA mandate is in line with the City’s pre-existing policies, and now puts all water providers nationwide on a clear timeline to complete this work.

Water delivered to Lakewood properties is provided by Cleveland Water, who reports that the water is lead-free when it leaves their treatment plants. In addition, the water treatment process is optimized to minimize any chance of corrosion to pipes and plumbing. Organic phosphates (a food-grade additive) are included with the water and bond with pipes to prevent metal elements from releasing into the water. The City of Lakewood also performs lead-level testing in accordance with state policies to ensure safety, and we report the results in the annual water quality report available on the City of Lakewood’s website.

The City of Lakewood is encouraged by the new EPA announcement and the energy it provides to address water service lines nationwide. The City is actively working on an implementation plan to align our pre-existing plan with the EPA regulation and 10-year timeline. There will be more information on that plan in the future.