Posted on 12/13/23
| News Source: FOX45
Residents in Baltimore City and County are being urged to check their water pipes and report the copper and lead results.
The Baltimore City Department of Public Works and the Baltimore County Department of Public Works and Transportation have formed the Baltimore Service Line Partnership in order to help residents through the EPA lead and copper inventory.
The partnership is a collaboration to address new federal regulations that protects communities from lead exposure in drinking water.
“Delivering high-quality drinking water to the Baltimore region is a top priority for the City of Baltimore, and taking these steps to identify whether there are any potentially outdated service line materials in the water distribution system is key to safeguarding our water supply,” said Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “I am urging residents and business entities identified as having unknown water service line material to check their service lines by following the easy-to-use test, and then report their results to the Baltimore Service Line Partnership via the online self-reporting survey. We already take significant measures to ensure that our system as a whole is protected, including from any potential lead contamination. Joining the rest of the country in identifying and replacing any remaining outdated service line materials is just one more step that we can take to ensure our entire system is as risk-free as possible.”
“Ensuring our residents have access to safe, clean and high-quality drinking water is a top priority for us in Baltimore County, and taking extra safety measures to demonstrate that all of our service lines are lead and pollutant free makes sense,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “I am confident that the Baltimore Service Line Partnership team will conduct a comprehensive examination to ensure we remain in compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and continue allowing our communities to enjoy the high-quality drinking water they expect and deserve.”
The program will help to identify lead service lines in the Baltimore water system.
The Baltimore Service Line Partnership was formed to comply with the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions that were announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2021, DPW officials say.
Baltimore City and County residential, commercial, and industrial property owners are urged to complete a Customer Service Line Survey to help the Partnership determine their water service line material.
Residents can access the self-reporting survey online and type in an address to determine if the property has been identified as having an unknown service line.
How to Take the Survey:
Residents will need these tools to identify your service line material: key, magnet (a refrigerator magnet will work), coins, cell phone or camera, and a flashlight.
The Service Line Partnership has launched an online portal that serves as a one-stop-shop for residents seeking additional information and looking to complete the self-reporting inventory survey.
The portal features a “resources” tab with a frequently asked questions document and step-by-step instructions on how to take the self-reporting survey.
In the next few weeks, inserts will be included in water bills explaining the inventory process.
In January 2024, the City and County will collaboratively host two large-scale public meetings to walk residents through the self-reporting inventory process.
Experts will be on hand at both events to answer questions and to provide a demonstration.
January Meeting Dates:
Additionally, both jurisdictions will continue to engage communities until October 2024.
The deadline for the Baltimore Service Line Partnership to submit the initial inventory to the EPA is October 2024.