Veolia Idaho Operations Lead Service Program
Information regarding the potential for lead pipes in your home and your water service
Information regarding the potential for lead pipes in your home and your water service
The U.S. EPA is working on reducing the risks of lead exposure for children and communities by improving protection of children at schools and childcare facilities, getting the lead out of our nation's drinking water and empowering people through information. Lead and copper enters drinking water primarily through plumbing materials.
Veolia is also working to protect Idahoans from lead through our comprehensive Lead Reduction Program in the systems it manages. Please note: Veolia's Idaho Operations have no known lead service lines.
Lead in drinking water is primarily introduced from service lines - the pipes that run from the water meter pit under ground directly to a home or business. When those service lines or home plumbing fixtures are composed of lead, it can leach into the water flowing through those devices.
The current state and federal regulations set an action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) for lead and 1.3 parts per million (ppm) for copper. Parts per million is also reported as milligrams per liter (mg/l). Veolia Water Idaho has been monitoring for lead and copper since 1992. The water systems we manage have maintained compliance with lead and copper drinking water regulations. To learn more about what is present in your drinking water, please visit https://mywater.veolia.us/water-in-my-area/water-quality-reports to view your area's Consumer Confidence Report (search using your zip code).
Find your water quality report on our website, link above.
Veolia's Idaho Operations have no known lead service lines. However, some private homes or buildings in our service area were developed at a time when lead was sometimes used for plumbing. It is the homeowner or building owner's responsibility to replace lead pipes in their property if they choose to. The graphic below illustrates where a property owner's responsibility begins.
To discover what the service line material is at your specific address, Veolia has developed a map for you to search. If your property is marked as unknown, continue to the section below.
Water Service Line Responsibilities
To comply with EPA regulations, public water systems are required to ask its customers to identify any areas where lead pipes may exist. Veolia has created a simple survey to walk you through the steps of identifying your service line material. Click on the button below to fill out the survey. At the end of it, please attach a picture of your service lines using the upload tool. Then submit. If you have questions regarding the survey or need assistance completing it, please contact our Idaho Customer Service Center at 208-362-7304.
This survey is only for information. Residents do not face any penalties, fees or other requirements regardless of the material used in their pipes.
Lead paint, lead dust, and contaminated soil are the most common sources of exposure to lead. Lead can also enter tap water through corrosion of plumbing materials in your home. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures and solder since a federal ban only went into effect that year. In Idaho, all structures were required to meet the federal lead ban for any plumbing materials that touch drinking water by 1991.
Common Reasons for Lead Diagram
Although most lead exposure occurs from contaminated dust, soil, or paint, the EPA estimates that 10 to 20 percent of human exposure may come from drinking water. Lead is rarely found in the source of your drinking water, but enters tap water by corrosion of materials containing lead. Where present, lead service lines are typically the most significant source of lead in the water.
New brass faucets, fittings, and valves, including those advertised as “lead-free” may still contain a small percentage of lead. The law currently allows end use brass fixtures, such as faucets, with up to 0.25 percent lead to be labeled as “lead free.” However, prior to 2011, “lead free” allowed up to 8 percent lead content of the wetted surfaces of plumbing products including those labeled as National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) certified. Visit the NSF website at www.nsf.org to learn more about lead-containing plumbing fixtures. Consumers should be aware of this when choosing fixtures and take appropriate precautions.
When water stands in lead service lines or plumbing systems for several hours or more, the lead may dissolve into your drinking water. This means the first water drawn from the tap in the morning, or later in the afternoon if the water has not been used all day, can contain higher levels of lead.
AWWA video: Together, Let's Get the Lead Out
For more information about the Lead and Copper Rule in Idaho please visit https://www.deq.idaho.gov/water-quality/drinking-water/contaminants-in-drinking-water/