Lubbock Water System Declared Lead-Free, New Rules Target Galvanized Steel Pipes

The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) released new changes to its Lead and Copper Rule in November 2023. These changes are now known as the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), and the final changes will happen in October 2024. Under the new rules, water systems will have to repair some water lines over the next ten years, lower the amount of lead in the water, and set up ways to keep track of things and report on them.

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The City of Lubbock just released its necessary Lead Service Line Inventory, which shows that there is no lead in the city's water distribution system. On the other hand, the survey showed that 153 private water service lines were made of galvanized steel. According to the new LCRI rules, Lubbock Water Utilities has to tell users with galvanized lines once a year that they need to be replaced to reduce the risk of lead exposure. This notice, which will be sent by mail to property owners and residents, talks about the dangers of metal lines and how to lower your exposure.

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Even though stainless steel pipes don't always mean that water has lead in them, the new LCRI rules want to protect public health by getting rid of these lines.

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