Junaluska Sanitary District – System #NC0144035
11/15/2024
SERVICE LINES OF UNKNOWN SERVICE LINE MATERIAL
This notice contains important information about drinking water for properties served by Junaluska Sanitary District.
Junaluska Sanitary District has been working to identify service line materials throughout the District’s water system. All service lines, with the exception of properties built after the 1988 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lead Ban, were inventoried. No service lines in the District were identified as containing lead nor requiring replacement. Due to the damage sustained to the District from Hurricane Helene, properties built after the 1988 EPA Lead Ban may be inventoried at a later date.
In 1988 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated a Lead Ban on all Water service lines. The NC Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) has imposed and required all NC public water systems to perform Lead & Copper testing over the past 20 years.
As part of the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) published December 16, 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required all community water systems (CWS) and non-transient non-community (NTNC) water systems develop an inventory of all service line connections, both system-owned and customer-owned. The inventory must identify the potential presence of lead within each service line connection.
All Public Water Systems were required to complete and submit to the state a lead service line inventory by October 16, 2024. In effort to comply with the EPA and NCDEQ regulations, the Town of Waynesville, Maggie Valley Sanitary District, Junaluska Sanitary District, Lake Junaluska Assembly, the Town of Clyde and the Town of Canton conducted investigations of all service lines to complete Inventory requirements. Each water department took an inventory of the Tap (service) line from the main water line to the meter, as well as the customer service line from the meter to the building.
For the customer owned service lines, the water department’s were required, per the EPA, to expose the service line within 18” outside of the meter box on the customers property side. This is an inventory of the actual service line from the meter box. This is not an inventory of the pipes or plumbing inside the building.
The concentration of this survey was on all structures built prior to 1989 when the Lead ban was put in place. However, the water departments were required to complete a full inventory of all the customers they serve.
Health effects of lead
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 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.
Steps you can take to reduce lead in drinking water.
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 in drinking water.
Use filters 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, see EPA’s https://www.epa.gov/water-research/consumer-tool-identifying-point-use-and-pitcher-filters-certified-reduce-lead.
Clean your aerator. Regularly 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 pipes providing water to your home, 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.
Learn what your service line material is. Contact a licensed plumber to determine if the pipe that connects your home to the water main (called a service line) is made from lead, galvanized, or other materials. Protect Your Tap: A quick check for lead is EPA’s on-line step by step guide to learn how to find lead pipes in your home.
Have your water tested. Contact the Haywood County Health Department to have your water tested and to learn more about the lead levels in your drinking water. Alternatively, you may contact a certified laboratory to have your water tested for lead. For information on sources of lead that include service lines and interior plumbing, please visit https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water#getinto.
Get your child tested to determine lead levels in their blood.
Although there is no confirmation of having a lead service line, you may wish to speak with a healthcare provider to see if your child’s blood lead level is elevated and/or if there is a need for blood testing, if you are concerned about potential exposure. Please visit https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/advisory/acclpp/actions-blls.htm for information on these actions.
For more information on reducing lead exposure from your drinking water and the health effects of lead, visit EPA’s website at http://www.epa.gov/lead.
A copy of this notification is available here:
Lead Service Line Inventory – Public Statement
In 1988 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated a Lead Ban on all Water service lines. The NC Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) has imposed and required all NC public water systems to perform Lead & Copper testing over the past 20 years.
As part of the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) published December 16, 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that all community water systems (CWS) and non-transient non-community (NTNC) water systems develop an inventory of all service line connections, both system-owned and customer-owned. The inventory must identify the potential presence of lead within each service line connection.
All Public Water Systems must complete and submit to the state a lead service line inventory by October 16, 2024.
In effort to comply with the EPA and NCDEQ regulations, the Town of Waynesville, Maggie Valley Sanitary District, Junaluska Sanitary District, Lake Junaluska Assembly, the Town of Clyde and the Town of Canton will be conducting an investigation of all service lines to complete our Inventory requirements.
Each water department will be taking an inventory of the Tap (service) line from the main water line to the meter, as well as the customer service line from the meter to the building.
For the customer owned service lines, the water department’s may be required, per the EPA, to expose the service line within 18” outside of the meter box on the customers property side.
This is an inventory of the actual service line from the meter box. This is not an inventory of the pipes or plumbing inside the building.
You may find further information on each of our websites or call your water provider for further details.
To further help on this investigation, we will be sending out Customer Survey’s to each property owner that will ask for any information a customer might have about the type of water service lines that were installed.
The concentration of this survey will be on all structures built prior to 1989 when the Lead ban was put in place. However, the water departments are required to complete a full inventory of all the customers they serve.
More information on Junaluska Sanitary District's Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) progess will be noted as it becomes available. Currently, JSD crew members are actively working on line inventory. The following links will provide more information about the LCRR and EPA's efforts.
EPA Info on Lead in Drinking Water
