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Learn about the Environmental Protection Agency’s ​Lead and Copper Rule Revision


PBCWUD HAS BEEN PROTECT​ING CUSTOMERS FROM LEAD SINCE THE EPA INTRODUCED THE LEAD AND COPPER RULE IN 1991


​​In 1986 Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, prohibiting the use of pipes that were not “lead-free" in public water systems or plumbing materials providing water for human consumption.  Then in 1991, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted a nationwide regulation to protect public health and to reduce exposure to lead and copper in drinking water known as the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). In 2024, the EPA is implementing the 'Lead and Copper Rule Revision' (LCRR), which aims to protect children and communities even further- by requiring a nationwide removal of any water service delivery lines that may contain lead. Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures. The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures. In homes with lead pipes that connect the home to the utility's water main, also known as lead services lines, these pipes can be a significant source of lead in the water.  Lead pipes are more likely to be found in older structures and homes built prior to 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to prohibit use of lead pipes nationwide.

Locally, Palm Beach County proactively adopted a standard building code in 1974 for unincorporated areas that did not allow any lead service lines to be used, well before it became a national standard. While this measure applied to the unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County, individual cities and municipalities might have implemented their own codes.  To see which utility provider serves your address, visit our "Find Your Provider" ​tool here​.​

Service Line Inventory​

As part of the new LCRR, PBCWUD is conducting a system-wide inventory of all service lines - including those on the property owner's side of the meter- in response to the new regulations from the EPA effective October 16, 2024.  Service lines are usually buried in the yard or in front of the structure and serve as the connection between the water meter and the home. The portion of the service line between the water main and meter box is maintained and owned by PBCWUD, while the remainder of the service line between the meter box and the building is owned by the home, business or property owner. Should lead be detected on the property owner's side, they will be notified, with suggested next steps. Property owners are responsible for checking, maintaining and/or replacing any plumbing fixtures inside the home or building.


What to Expect

  • During the service line inventory, you may see PBCWUD utility crews working near the road or near the water meters.

  • Water service will not be interrupted.

  • Limited lane closures are possible as crews will be working primarily within the shoulder area of streets.

  • Please follow posted signs and drive with caution and slowly if crews are working in the area.

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience and thank our customers for their patience as we complete this project. Additional information will be posted on this page as it becomes available, with the full PBCWUD Lead Service Line Inventory to be made available when completed later this year. The Lead Service Line Inventory map will be interactive, searchable by address in the PBCWUD service area. For boundaries of the PBCWUD service area, visit our "Find Your Provider" ​tool here​.​


Drinking Water Quality  ​

PBCWUD's drinking water system consists of wells, water treatment plants, the water mains that distribute the water, and finally the customers' water meters, which connect to the customers' service lines that bring water from the water main to the individual home or business. With our mission to provide the Best Water, Best Service, and Best Environmental Stewardship, PBCWUD conducts more than 50,000 water quality tests annually, including lead and copper, to ensure our customers receive the highest-quality drinking water that is continually monitored 24 hours a day by licensed professionals. We have wells that withdraw water from the Biscayne and Floridan aquifers. The fresh, clean water is pumped from the well fields to one of five water treatment plants for processing. The water leaves the treatment plants and is disinfected as per Florida Health Department regulations before it enters over 2,500 miles of water mains for distribution to our customers. PBCWUD supplies drinking water free of any traces of lead.  For a full copy of PBCWUD's Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Quality Report, click here.​ ​

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Illustration of typical water utility service line configuration.​​   ​​




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PBCWUD utility crews conducting the inventory throughout the utility service area.









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PBCWUD conducts over 50,000 water quality analyses each year.
















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PBCWUD provides high-quality water to over 635,000 customers.
 

Frequently Asked Questions- FAQs​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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The original Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule has been protecting children and our communities since 1991. Due to the issues in Flint, Michigan, the EPA, State, Local regulatory agencies and  local water utilities including PBCWUD have been working together to improve these protections. There are several major components to this regulation including:

  • Locating Legacy Lead Pipes: knowing where lead pipes are is critical to replacing them efficiently and equitably. In Palm Beach County, homes built prior to 1989 might have used lead service lines in the home.
  • Removing the Lead Pipes: PBCWUD has a proactive approach incorporating our Engineering, Information Technology and Customer Service teams to inventory our entire 1,300 square mile service area to detect instances of lead service lines (pipes) in use, and develop a plan to replace any lead service lines that may be identified.
  • Protecting Children at Schools and Child Care Facilities:  PBCWUD is working with the School District of Palm Beach County to test for lead in schools and day care facilities throughout the PBCWUD service area. NOTE: School District of Palm Beach County schools/facilities that are out of the PBCWUD service area would be included in that particular school's water utility area; for example: City of  West Palm Beach, City of Delray Beach or whichever municipality the school was located in. To see a map of the water utility service areas, visit our "Find Your Provider" tool here​ and enter the school's address. To learn more about the WIIN Grant for Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing Grant Reduction Grant Program from the EPA, click here​. 

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Lead is a toxic metal that can cause immediate effects at high doses and long term effects if it builds up in the body over many years. Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney, or nervous system problems. Learn more here.

Lead is a common metallic element in nature and can be found in air, soil, and water. It is also a powerful toxin that is harmful to human health. Lead was commonly used in gasoline and paint up until the 1970's and is still sometimes found in products such as ceramics, batteries, ammunition, and cosmetics. Lead was used for centuries in plumbing because of its pliability and resistance to leaks; in fact, lead's chemical symbol, Pb, is derived from the Latin word for plumbing. In 1986, with Congress' amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act, lead pipes were banned in the United States and plumbing materials were required to meet federal “lead-free" specifications.  Locally, Palm Beach County proactively adopted a standard building code in 1974 for unincorporated areas that did not allow any lead service lines to be used, well before it became a national standard. While this measure applied to the unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County, individual cities and municipalities might have implemented their own codes. To see which water utility provider or municipality serves your address, use our 'Find Your Provider' tool.

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Copper is a naturally occurring metal found in rock, soil, water, and sediment. While not common, exposure to high doses of copper can cause health problems such as intestinal distress, liver and kidney damage, and anemia. For centuries, humans have used it to produce copper alloys including brass and bronze. Today, copper is widely used in the production of many items including pennies, electrical wiring, and plumbing materials such as household water pipes. While the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) primarily focuses on removing lead service lines, copper lines are generally not targeted for removal because copper itself is not considered a significant contaminant in drinking water; the main concern is lead leaching from lead pipes, especially when exposed to corrosive water.

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The service line runs from the exterior of the home and connects to PBCWUD's water main in the street. PBCWUD owns the portion of the service line from the water main to the meter box. The property owner owns the section of the service line from the water meter to the home. See above on this page for an illustration of what a typical residential service line configuration looks like. Please note that some properties may have the meter box located in the front, side or even back yard. ​

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Beginning in 1986, there was a nationwide ban on lead in pipes, so homes constructed after 1986 generally will not have lead service lines in the home. Locally, Palm Beach County proactively adopted a standard building code in 1974 for unincorporated areas that did not allow any lead service lines to be used, well before it became a national standard. While this measure applied to the unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County, individual cities and municipalities might have implemented their own codes. PBCWUD is conducting a system-wide inventory of all service lines under its jurisdiction, owned by the utility. In the course of this process, PBCWUD will inventory the property owner's service lines as well. Using the nationwide ban requirement, local plumbing code, historical as-built documents, state-of-the-art utility GIS technology, and field verifications, PBCWUD is creating an interactive inventory map for the water service connections in its service area where you will be able to find the service line material at your home by address.. If you are not sure if you are in the PBCWUD service area, visit our "Find Your Provider" tool here​. ​

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PBCWUD is in full compliance with all current and proposed EPA regulations. For residents in the PBCWUD service area, the most recent PBCWUD Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Quality Report can be found on our website here.  This report provides a description of where your water comes from, how it is treated, and a summary of the laboratory analysis of thousands of water samples collected each year. The report is released annually each year in June. PBCWUD maintains 24 hour continual monitoring of water quality by licensed professionals.​

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PBCWUD is in full compliance with all current and proposed EPA Lead and Copper regulations. PBCWUD supplies drinking water free of any traces of lead.   In order to prevent lead from dissolving into water from lead service lines or home plumbing, water utilities adjust the water's chemistry at the treatment plant, a process known as corrosion control. Water utilities sample water at homes in order to ensure the corrosion control remains effective. Although corrosion control can reduce risks, the best way to assure your home is safe from lead exposure through your service lines is to remove the potential sources of lead.

As part of the LCRR, PBCWUD is performing an inventory of the service lines throughout its 1,300 square mile service area to ensure that there are no lead service lines in our system. Our water quality analysis in the PBCWUD service area has found no levels of lead exceeding regulatory guidelines of 0.015mg/L.  To conduct a service line inventory for our 200,000+ service connections, PBCWUD reviewed all plumbing codes to understand when lead was banned in unincorporated Palm Beach County. The county adopted a lead ban in 1974 prior to nationwide regulations in 1986, proactively taking preventative measures to protect public health ahead of the national standard. Since 1991, PBCWUD has been sampling throughout our distribution system including from homes and businesses to reduce exposure of lead and copper in our communities. PBCWUD began working on the inventory in 2021 when the EPA announced the LCRR, ensuring we would achieve full compliance ahead of schedule.

Following the plumbing code review, in 2021 PBCWUD reviewed historical records and as-built drawings. Many of these historical documents date back to the 1970s and 1980s when our community was being planned and new developments being built, pre-dating technological advancements that are currently available today. After all records were reviewed, PBCWUD started performing field investigations to identify service line material for our remaining locations where the material might have been unknown or not recorded at the time of original installation. PBCWUD's research team employed state-of-the-art Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology to bring this research into the modern era and make it available to our customers at their fingertips through the interactive inventory tool, which will be available in mid-October. 

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Below are recommended actions that you may take, separately or in combination, if you are concerned about lead in your drinking water. The list also includes where you may find more information and is not intended to be a complete list or to imply that all actions equally reduce lead from drinking water.

  • Use your filter properly. Using a filter can reduce lead in drinking water. If you use a filter, it should be certified to remove lead. Read any directions provided with the filter to learn how to properly install, maintain, and use your cartridge and when to replace it. Using the cartridge after it has expired can make it less effective at removing lead. Do not run hot water through the filter. For more information on facts and advice on home water filtration systems, visit EPA's website at https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/home-drinking-water-filtration-fact-sheet and EPA's Consumer Tool for Identifying Drinking Water Filters Certified to Reduce Lead.
  • Clean your aerator. Regularly remove and clean your faucet's screen (also known as an aerator).Sediment, debris, and lead particles can collect in your aerator. If lead particles are caught in the aerator, lead can get into your water.
  • Use cold water. Do not use hot water from the tap for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula as lead dissolves more easily into hot water. Boiling water does not remove lead from water.
  • Run your water. The more time water has been sitting in your home's pipes, the more lead it may contain. Before drinking, flush your home's pipes by running the tap, taking a shower, doing laundry, or doing a load of dishes. The amount of time to run the water will depend on whether your home has a lead service line or not, as well as the length and diameter of the service line and the amount of plumbing in your home To flush, let the water run from the cold water tap for 15-30 seconds before using it for drinking or cooking, or any time the water has gone unused for more than six hours.
  • Have your water tested. If you think you may have elevated lead levels in your home drinking water have it tested by an accredited laboratory. You may contact the health department for a list. For more information, call the Palm Beach County Health Department at (561) 840-4500 and ask for the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.​​​


For additional questions, please email WUDCRM@pbcwater.com
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