Operation Clean & Clear News

PWC Continues Proactive Measures To Protect Customers From Lead Exposure
Begins work with Operation Clean & Clear to meet requirements of new Lead and Copper Rule 

Since the 1987 Safe Drinking Water Act that prohibited the use of lead piping in plumbing, there have been a series of changes and new regulations in continuing efforts to protect the public from lead exposure through drinking water.    Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing.

PWC’s drinking water is safe and meets or surpasses all EPA drinking water standards. PWC was the first utility in North Carolina to earn the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director’s Award for our extra efforts in providing clean, safe drinking water and has maintained that prestigious recognition for 20 consecutive years.

Since 1991, PWC has participated in the lead and copper sampling program as required by SWDA. As a result, PWC implemented a corrosion control program to stop lead from the pipes and fixtures from entering the water system. This corrosion control program has been successful in that all of PWC’s samples are well below the EPA mandated thresholds for lead in drinking water.

In 1997, PWC obtained reduced monitoring based on three years of sampling data that indicated our corrosion control program was effective and our system followed the requirements of the SWDA pertaining to lead and copper. Since that time, PWC tests a minimum of fifty locations once every three years. The most recent testing was 2020 in which no lead was detected. Additionally, PWC collects tap water samples for customers on a requested basis.

The latest revision to the 1991 Lead and Copper rule, lowers the level for required actions for utilities, revises sampling protocols, increases communications and requires utilities to provide a public resource for the types of material used throughout the water system.

PWC has begun work to ensure its compliance with the new rules by October 2024.  Staff and contractors are currently researching and documenting the water service lateral inventory throughout its system.

PWC is launching Operation Clean and Clear to promote the lead service line inventory, educate the public on the project and engage property owners to identify lead material on private property.

Service laterals are pipes that connect main water lines to an individual home or business. While lead piping was banned in 1987, and known lead lines installed prior to 1987, have been replaced over the years, PWC has nearly 100,000 water laterals in its system that require documentation.

Based on records and knowledge of the PWC system, we anticipate there to be minimal instances of lead service lines, but we will be documenting all locations. Any locations within our system that we can’t confirm with existing data, will require PWC and our contractors to conduct site surveys at those customer locations.

In addition to PWC service lines, new rules will require the identification of lead materials that may exist on the customer’s water line that connects the PWC meter to their home or business. While PWC is responsible for providing high quality drinking water distributed through the PWC system, it cannot control the variety of materials used on private property nor has any existing records verify if lead may exist.    Copper piping with lead solder as well as lead service lines are more likely to be found in homes built before 1986. Among homes without lead service lines, brass or chrome-plated brass faucets may also create lead exposure.

Through Operations Clean and Clear, PWC will be a resource for educating customers about potential lead materials in their homes and businesses and by 2024, will provide an online resource for identifying properties with lead lines/plumbing.

Because elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for   young children, the latest revisions to the EPA rule include additional focus on schools and day cares.  PWC will be working with the Health Department, local school officials and local day cares meet sampling requirements.

Learn more about the program by visiting the webpage for Operation Clean & Clear.