The towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg completed water service line inventories and results showed that as there are no lead service lines in the town-owned or customer-owned sections based on set regulations.
The inventory was initiated to meet the federal Environmental Protection Agency's Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, which require all public and private water utilities with service lines two inches in diameter or less to identify and catalog the materials used in their water systems, according to a town news release.
The LCRR requires water systems to prepare and maintain an inventory of service line materials and take action to address any lead exposure risks to safeguard public health. The town of Blacksburg's program was carried out in collaboration with CHA Consulting, Inc. (CHA), under the guidance of the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the EPA.
Initially, the town and CHA identified pipe materials through a review of construction and plumbing codes and records, water system records, site plans, and surveys, according to the release. For pipes that did not have records available, the town utilized the VDH-approved Statistical Method Modeling, based on the number of "unknown" service line types, to determine whether there were lead service lines within the town.
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The approach used a statistical sample size equation to calculate the number of town-owned and customer-owned lines that required physical verification of the pipe material. The verification process consisted of excavating the town-owned service lines at the water meter and visual inspection of customer-owned lines where they entered a building, according to the release.
The study also found that Blacksburg water quality exceeds federal and state standards and lead levels are well below regulatory requirements, according to town news release.
In a town Christiansburg release, Public Works Director Jim Lancianese said: "Determining that service lines in the town are non-lead is a significant achievement that underscores Christiansburg's commitment to protecting our infrastructure and ensuring the highest quality of water for our customers. This milestone is a testament to the diligent efforts of our public works and water quality teams, who have worked tirelessly to maintain the excellent quality of our drinking water."
Lead service lines have been prohibited by Virginia's plumbing code since 1979.
Water customers with unknown or galvanized service line material requiring replacement will receive notification via mail, according to the release.
For information on individual address findings, or questions about water quality standards or the inventory process, citizens are encouraged to contact the town's Engineering Department at 540-443-1300 or visit the Blacksburg Motor Company to view the results.
For more information on this project, please visit letstalkblacksburg.org.
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