The Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements require all drinking water utilities to have a service line inventory and a service line replacement plan for both the customer and utility side of the water meter. The customer side of the service line is the water line that runs from the water meter to the home/business on the customer’s property. The utility side of the service line connects the water main in the street to the water meter. The City of Asheville is conducting a survey of all customer homes and businesses to meet this requirement.
Please see the diagram below to understand what a service line is. We are asking for your help to determine the material on the privately owned customer side of the service line.
What can you do?
Participate in the Service Line Survey
The City of Asheville Water Department’s goal is to have a complete and accurate water service line inventory as soon as possible. We cannot do this without customer participation.
Customers can use the survey to do the following:
- Option 1 – If you already know your service line material, please fill out the survey and include a picture of the service line. If you are unable to upload a picture, you can still fill out the survey and request an appointment for city staff to visit the home to take a picture for you. Link to Survey
- Option 2 – You can watch the video produced by Water Resources to learn how to determine the service line material. You can then fill out the survey with that information and a picture of the service line. Link to Video Link to Survey
- Option 3 – Request an appointment for water staff to visit your home or business. The visit only takes 10-15 minutes and access is needed into the basement or crawl space. Link to Survey
- Option 4 – If you have replaced your service line, please fill out the survey. A picture of the service line as it enters the home or a copy of the invoice can be uploaded. Link to Survey
Visit the Drinking Water Service Line Inventory Dashboard
Visit this link to see the status of your service line material in the City’s inventory. Currently, we have many unknown materials on the customer-owned side. We urge customers to participate in the survey to help us build a better and more accurate inventory. Please visit the survey link to let us know your service line material, if you have replaced your service line, or to schedule an appointment for city water department staff to visit your home or business. You can also email us at leadprevention@ashevillenc.gov or call 828-251-1122 if you have any questions.
Annual Customer Notices
Customers with lead pipe, galvanized iron pipe requiring replacement (GRR), or unknown pipe material can expect letters from the City of Asheville Water Resources Department by the end of 2025. The letters are meant to inform customers of their pipe material, provide important information on how to reduce lead exposure, and guide them to participate in the Lead Awareness program to help the City build a more accurate service line inventory. These letters will be sent annually until the service line material is replaced with a non-lead pipe material or it is determined the pipe material is non-lead. Customers with non-lead service line material on both the customer and utility owned portions will not receive an annual letter.
Steps are being taken by the City to determine your service line material if it is denoted as “unknown.” The Water Resources Department is using a predictive modeling tool that uses AI and Machine Learning to predict the likelihood of an unknown service line material being lead or galvanized requiring replacement. A statistical method has been used to determine homes or businesses to help expedite this process. We need customer participation to help with this project; therefore we encourage all customers to participate in the Service Line Survey to help the City build a more accurate service line inventory Link to Survey.
Free Lead Testing
To receive a free lead test kit, City of Asheville water customers can come to Asheville City Hall (70 Court Plaza, Asheville NC 28801) to pick up a test kit at the Water Customer Service Window on the first floor. Hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. A lead test kit will be delivered to customers who participate in the service line inventory survey. Lead test kit results will be be provided via email or mail once available.
Kits will only be provided to City of Asheville water customers. If you receive a bill from another water utility please reach out to them to request a test kit or request their most recent lead and copper sampling results.
Sign up for AVL Alert
If you have not signed up already, it is recommended to sign up for AVL ALERT. Customers can receive notifications about Water Department work occurring in their neighborhood via their method of choice (phone call, text or email). Link to AVL Alert Sign Up
Educate Yourself on How to Reduce Lead Exposure
Here are some interesting facts about lead and how to reduce lead exposure from drinking water. Frequently Asked Questions
Lead Health Effects
Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or worsen existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these negative health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, and kidney, or nervous system problems.
Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The City of Asheville is responsible for providing high-quality drinking water and removing lead pipes, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components in your home or private service line. You share the responsibility for protecting yourself and your family from the lead in your home plumbing. You can take responsibility by identifying and removing lead materials within your home plumbing and taking steps to reduce your family’s risk.
Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
The City Strives to Ensure Safe Clean Water
The City of Asheville’s water has consistently been verified as safe and clean, and these new regulations should not be cause for concern. Customers may be impacted by construction, water quality sampling, and/or remediation practices throughout the implementation of these regulations. The City of Asheville is dedicated to transparency throughout the inventory and replacement process. Customers can use this link for AVL Alert Sign Up to register for notifications.
Post-Helene Information
Helene Sampling Plan and Results
Background
The City of Asheville has monitored its system for lead and copper by random sampling since 1997 and has never found a significant issue. As a best practice, Asheville Water Resources treats its drinking water by adjusting the pH to a neutral level and adding other chemicals to create a barrier between the pipe and the water. This treatment process reduces the corrosion in water lines and household plumbing. The City of Asheville’s water has consistently exceeded EPA water quality standards as reported in this Asheville Water Quality Report.
In 1991 the EPA published a regulation to control lead and copper in drinking water. This regulation is known as the Lead and Copper Rule (also referred to as LCR). Although LCR has resulted in reductions in lead in drinking water, the EPA recently approved comprehensive revisions to the rule to strengthen its public health protections and clarify its implementation requirements. Since early 2019, the City of Asheville has been anticipating these changes and developing a strategy to implement new regulations.
In January 2022 the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) was passed requiring all drinking water utilities to build a service line inventory. Water utilities were required to turn the inventory into state regulators on October 16, 2024. The inventory has been made available to all customers via website since 2022. Visit this link to view the interactive map of local service lines.
In response to the LCRR, the EPA proposed and issued the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) on October 30, 2024. There are many other requirements that water utilities will have to follow to help reduce lead from drinking water. These changes will go into effect in 2027. For more information about this rule you can visit the EPA’s Proposed Lead & Copper Rule Improvements website.
Service Line Inventory Preparation
October 2020 – Present – Work crews are documenting the service line materials on both the customer and utility sides of the meter during routine repairs and neighborhood enhancement projects to prepare for the new Service Line Inventory required for the Lead & Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). We need customer participation for homes built before 1988 to reduce the number of unknowns in the inventory. Please participate by filling out the survey, calling 828-251-1122, or emailing leadprevention@ashevillenc.gov. Water staff need only 10-15 minutes to enter the home to view where the service line enters the home.
Fall 2021 – Contract crews dug small holes at the water meter at 100 customer homes to determine service line materials. Homes were picked based on a statistical list to determine where lead service line material could potentially be. This database criteria included age of home, results of known service line material, and other factors. Out of the 100 homes surveyed, no lead service line material was found, but galvanized requiring replacement was found at 25% of the homes on both the private and public owned sides.
Winter 2022 – An interactive dashboard was made available for customers to look up their address to check the service line material on the private or utility side of the meter. If the status is unknown, we ask that customers fill out the survey, call 828-251-1122, or email leadprevention@ashevillenc.gov to learn how they can participate.
Supporting Documents
Infographic – Improving Lead Sampling to Better Protect Public Health
Keeping Asheville’s water supply safe: Testing, constant monitoring are key
EPA Lead and Copper Rule Revisions
EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements
LCRI Frequently Asked Questions
Lead Testing Post-Helene
City of Asheville water sampling plan specific to recovering from Helene
Post-Helene Lead and Copper Sampling Plan and Results
Contact Information
Brenna Cook, Compliance Manager
828-259-5962
LeadPrevention@ashevillenc.gov