Why is a Service Line Inventory being completed?

New federal regulations require water systems, such as SSWD, to assess whether lead service lines are connected to their system.

In 2020, SSWD completed a water service line inventory of the district portion (from the main to the meter) and determined that there were no lead service lines. The new inventory project focuses on the customer portion of the service line (from the meter to the home/business)

What is a service line?
A service line is the piping that connects a home/business to the water main.

Based on our installation records and prior inspections, 44,451 out of the 46,571 customer service lines connected to our system have been classified as non-lead.  The remaining 2,120 customer service lines have not yet been verified, so are currently classified as “lead status unknown.”  It is possible that some of these may be lead – but considered very unlikely.  SSWD will be initiating a customer service line inventory project in 2025 to assess whether any lead service lines exist.

 
Who will receive an inspection?

A random subset of the 2,120 customers with “lead status unknown” service lines (about 425 locations) will be selected for visual inspections to support a statistical analysis of “lead status unknown” service lines.

What is the inspection process?
In Fall 2024, SSWD will contact all 2,120 customers with “lead status unknown” service – some of whom may require inspection.  In the first half of 2025, the inspections are planned to be accomplished.  When the inspections have been completed, SSWD will inform all 2,120 customers of the outcome.

• If your service line is categorized as a lead status unknown composition, you can help your public water system identify your service line material.

• EPA has developed an online step-by-step guide to help people identify lead pipes in their homes called Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead. (https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/protect-your-tap-quick-check-lead-0)

• Other organizations have also provided tools to identify service line material, such as the LSLR Collaborative (https://www.lslr-collaborative.org/identifying-service-line-material.html)

Want to Learn More?
Learn more about the Federal requirements. 

Who can I contact for more information?
For questions about the service line inventory, please contact SSWD at (916) 972-7171 or help@sswd.org.