Unknown

: Service Pipe Type

Notice to Individuals Served by a Service Line of Unknown Material

Dear Customer, 

Our public water system is focused on protecting the health of every household in our community. This notice contains important information about your drinking water.

Our public water system is working to identify service line materials throughout the water system and has determined that a portion of or the entire water pipe (called a service line) that connects your home, building, or other structure to the water main is made from unknown material but may be lead.

In some cases, a portion of the service line may have been identified as non-lead, but it is still classified as unknown until the entire length of the service line has been identified. Because your service line material is unknown, there is the potential that some or all of the service line could be made of lead or galvanized pipe that was previously connected to lead. People living in homes with a lead or galvanized pipe previously connected to a lead service line have an increased risk of exposure to lead from their drinking water. 

Individuals can find information on service line material information on addresses located in Minnesota at Minnesota Service Line Material Tool (umn.edu) (https://maps.umn.edu/LSL/).

Please share this information with anyone who drinks and/or cooks using water at this property. In addition to people directly served at this property, this can include people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, businesses, as well as parents served by childcare at this property. 

Identifying service line material 

To help determine if the pipe that connects your home to the water main (called a service line) is made from lead, galvanized, or other materials, residents may reach out to the contact information listed above or a licensed plumber. EPA has developed an online step-by-step guide to help people identify lead pipes in their homes called Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead (https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/protect-your-tap-quick-check-lead). Alternatively, you can also follow this link: Protect Your Tap: A quick check for lead (https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/protect-your-tap-quick-check-lead-0) to find lead pipes in your home. 

Health effects of lead  

There is no safe level of lead in drinking water. Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups, especially pregnant people, infants (both formula-fed and breastfed), and young children. Some of the health effects to infants and children include decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can also result in new or worsened learning and behavior problems. The children of persons who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy may be at increased risk of these harmful health effects. Adults have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems. Contact your health care provider for more information about your risks.

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 links 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 a filter. Using a filter can reduce lead in drinking water. If you use a filter, it should be certified to remove lead Look for filters that are tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for particulate reduction (Class I). Read the 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 Consumer tool for identifying point-of-use and pitcher filters certified to reduce lead in drinking water (https://www.epa.gov/water-research/consumer-tool-identifying-point-use-and-pitcher-filters-certified-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 and be released 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. Residents may reach out to the contact information listed above for recommendations about flushing times in their community. 

Learn about construction in your neighborhood. Construction may cause more lead to be released from a lead service line. Residents may reach out to the contact information listed above to find out about any construction or maintenance work that could disturb your service line.  

Have your water tested. Residents may reach out to the contact information listed above to learn more about lead testing and the lead levels in your drinking water. Alternatively, you can contact a Minnesota Department of Health accredited laboratory (https://eldo.web.health.state.mn.us/public/accreditedlabs/labsearch.seam) to purchase a sample container and instructions on how to submit a sample. Note, a water sample may not adequately capture or represent all sources of lead that may be present. For information on sources of lead that include service lines and interior plumbing, please visit How lead gets into drinking water (https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water#getinto).  If a test shows your water has high levels of lead after you let the water run. You can learn more about water treatment options at Home Water Treatment (https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/factsheet/hometreatment.html).

Understand Blood Lead Testing 

In Minnesota, elevated blood lead levels are most associated with lead exposure from lead paint and dust. Water is rarely the cause of elevated blood lead levels. Routine blood lead tests are covered by insurance and medical assistance programs as a preventative health care service.  If you have concerns about childhood lead exposure, contact your child’s primary health care provider to request a blood lead test. If your child does not have a primary health care provider or health insurance, there are several resources available.

Visit Lead Information for Families (https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/lead/families.html).

Replacing lead service lines or galvanized requiring replacement service lines when found

Our system will work to identity unknown lines in the future. You would be contacted when work will commence in your neighborhood.   If a lead service line or a galvanized line requiring replacement (GRR) is found, Minnesota has a program for funding the replacement of lead service lines or galvanized requiring replacement service lines when found. Individual homeowners are not eligible to apply directly to the state for this funding.  Our water system may apply to this funding program in the future.  

Ownership of a service line is often split between the customer and water system. Our public water system is required to replace the system owned portion of the lead or GRR service line when a property owner notifies us that they are replacing their portion. If the property owner replaces their portion of the service line without coordinating with their water system, the property owner may be responsible for all costs related to the replacement of the privately owned portion of the service line.

For additional information on Minnesota’s Lead Service Line Replacement Program, please visit Lead Service Line Replacement Program Facts (https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/lslrprogram.html).

For more information about lead in drinking water visit Lead in Drinking Water (https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/contaminants/lead.html). 

Additional information from water system regarding service line ownership, replacement program, and service line material verification.

In the City of Milaca, the homeowner owns all portions of the service line off of the water main. We are currently applying for funding to replace galvanized service lines.