$50K set aside to address new EPA requirements on lead, copper in water
As the first step in preparing for new federal requirements related to copper and lead levels in drinking water, Sherman recently authorized a nearly $50,000 contract for consulting services to assist Sherman in transitioning to these new requirements.
The Lead and Copper Rules Revision, also known as the LCRR, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency creates new requirements for screening, and mitigation of copper and lead levels in municipal water.
"One of the main things I want to make sure the council understands is that none of this is a reflection on anything the city has been doing," said Consultant James Naylor, representing Freese and Nichols, who will be providing the service to the city. "The city has been doing what it has need to be doing under the current lead and copper rule."
The LCRR are a long-awaited update to the EPA's rules aimed at reducing levels of copper and lead in drinking water. These rules have been in development for nearly 30 years, Naylor said.
The new requirements will focus on lead water lines, where previous rules were focused on copper service lines with lead soldering. The rules also require water providers to create a map and database of lead service lines.
"(There will be) no more we don't know or it is unknown," Naylor said. "It will start requiring folks to get out there and identify where those lines are located."
These rules expand upon the previous rules and include new testing protocols and timelines, establish trigger levels that would jumpstart mitigation efforts and establishes standard protocols for efforts including line replacements.
Naylor said the city's current sampling and monitoring plan meets current requirements, but this could change under the new rules, especially as the city learns more about the scale of copper service lines throughout its network.
"You currently have a sampling plan and you are executing that, and you are executing it very well, but as we start learning where the lead service lines are, the sampling plan will be shifted accordingly to the new regulation," he said.
Assistant City Manager Clint Philpott reiterated this sentiment about the city's ongoing efforts, noting that the city's sampling is done throughout the city in order to get the most accurate view of the infrastructure.
"In my opinion, some cities can test in some areas and not in others because they know there is a problem over there," he said.
Outgoing City Council Member Sandra Melton asked if the costs of future phases would be in the same scale as the first phase, but city staff said this would be determined by what is found in the initial studies.
Naylor said the city has about three years to come into compliance with the new requirements. While this might seem like plenty of time, he urged the city to start work early.
This article originally appeared on Herald Democrat: Sherman prepares for new EPA requirements on lead, copper in water
