Veolia Idaho Operations Lead Service Program

Information regarding the potential for lead pipes in your home and your water service

Introduction

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 Reduction Program Update

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.

Service Line Material Lookup

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

Self-Identify Survey

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.

Potential Lead Exposure in the Home and the Environment

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.

Steps You Can Take to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water

  1. Run cold water to flush out lead. Let the water run from the tap before using it for drinking or cooking any time the water in the faucet has gone unused for more than six hours. The longer the water resides in plumbing, the more lead it may contain. Flushing tap water is a simple and inexpensive measure you can take to protect your health. It usually uses less than a gallon of water.
  2. Use cold, flushed water for cooking and preparing baby formula. Because lead from lead-containing plumbing materials and pipes can dissolve into hot water more easily than cold water, never drink, cook, or prepare beverages including baby formula using hot water from the tap.
  3. Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead; however, it is still safe to wash dishes and do laundry. Lead will not soak into dishware or most clothes.
  4. Use alternative sources of treatment of water. You may want to consider purchasing a water filter. Read the package to be sure the filter is approved to reduce lead or contact NSF International at 800-NSF-8010 or  www.nsf.org  for information on performance standards for water filters.
  5. Determine if you have any interior lead plumbing or solder. If your home/building was constructed before 1991 in Idaho, it is important to determine if interior lead solder or lead pipes are present. You can check yourself, hire a licensed plumber, or check with your landlord.
  6. Replace plumbing fixtures and service lines containing lead. Replace brass faucets, fittings, and valves that do not meet the current definition of “lead free” from 2011 (as explained above). Visit the NSF website at www.nsf.org to learn more about lead-containing plumbing fixtures. If you are planning to replace your lead service line, contact Veolia's Idaho Customer Service team at 208-362-7304.
  7. Remove and clean aerators/screens on plumbing fixtures. Over time, particles and sediment can collect in the aerator screen. Regularly remove and clean aerators screens located at the tip of faucets and remove any particles.
  8. Test your water for lead. Testing is essential because you cannot see, taste, or smell lead in drinking water. To find a list of certified potable water testing laboratories in Idaho, visit  https://www.epa.gov/dwlabcert/contact-information-certification-programs-and-certified-laboratories-drinking-water  and scroll to the map with the associated search feature.
  9. Have an electrician check your wiring. Grounding wires from the electrical system attached to pipes can increase corrosion. Check with a licensed electrician or your local electrical code to determine if your wiring can be grounded elsewhere. 
  10. Water softeners and reverse osmosis units will remove lead from water but can also make the water more corrosive to lead solder and plumbing by removing certain minerals. The installation of these treatment units at the point of entry into homes with lead plumbing should only be done under supervision of a qualified water treatment professional.

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/ 

Find your water quality report on our website, link above.

Water Service Line Responsibilities

Common Reasons for Lead Diagram