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Development and Optimization of a Systematic Approach to Identifying Lead Service Lines: One Community’s Success
Citation:
Smart, P., L. MacRae, C. Formal, AND D. Lytle. Development and Optimization of a Systematic Approach to Identifying Lead Service Lines: One Community’s Success. WATER RESEARCH. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 246:120725, (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2023.120725
Impact/Purpose:
Lead is a drinking water contaminant associated with brain and nervous system damage. Lead service lines (LSLs), when present, are the largest source of lead in drinking water, and their removal is necessary to reduce public exposure to lead from drinking water. Unfortunately, the composition of many service lines (SLs) is uncertain. The town of Bennington, Vermont, for example, has unreliable SL records, making it challenging to build an inventory and conduct an LSL replacement program. In 2017, Bennington commenced a project to identify SL materials and replace all LSLs. 159 control homes, consisting of 99 LSL and 60 non-LSL sites, were chosen for record reviews, visual SL observations, fully flushed (FF) and sequential profile water sampling, and test excavations to evaluate method accuracies. Of the 159 control homes, records for 90% of the 99 known LSL homes were accurate. Whereas 3% of the 60 non-lead SL homes’ records accurately identified SL material. Fully flushed and sequential profile samples (SPSs) were 73% and 95% accurate for identifying LSLs and 95% and 83% accurate for identifying non-LSLs, respectively. Results were 100% accurate when visual observations, FF samples, and test excavation were used in a stepwise approach. A stepwise approach consisting of visual SL observations, FF samples, and SPSs achieved a 98% accuracy at identifying LSLs and a 67% cost reduction compared to performing test excavations at each home. Findings from this control group study are critical for state, tribal, and local officials to inform their decisions about the selected approach to identify unknown SLs.
Description:
This product evaluates various methods to determine the presence of leaded materials within premise plumbing, particularly lead service lines, but considers all lead sources. This can be done in numerous ways from innovative tap sampling methods, novel sensors and visual inspection to remote sensing. It also investigates a novel sampling device to identify lead service lines and to assess household water lead exposure, and compares this device to other water sampling protocols under field conditions. It aims to advance knowledge on existing tools for lead service line identification and lead exposure assessment, but also aims to develop new such tools.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Development and Optimization of a Systematic Approach to Identifying Lead Service Lines: One Community’s Success