Preparing an Inventory:

Understanding Available Resources

Existing data can provide information necessary to build an LSL inventory. The tables below describe the benefits, drawbacks, and where to look for different types of data. 

Lead service line installation

Sources	Description	Pros	Cons	Possible Locations
Installation records	​Records may be in the form of ledgers, cards, or databases; records describe the length, location, and construction material used for service line	Provides: a location,  timeframe when installation occurred, and  may include information on material	​Lead services are 30  - >130 years old; all or part of an installed line may have been replaced	Water system / municipal water department, municipal building permit / code enforcement department
Service card or ticket	Subsequent to installation, repairs or replacement activity conducted by the water system describe action taken	Provides: location, timeframe when replacement occurred, may include information on material	May require cross-referencing with construction practice at the time of service to determine materials used; typically limited to portion of service maintained by utility; retention policy for these tickets may be inconsistent	Water systems / municipal water department
Construction records	​Major main repair and construction project records will identify services replaced by those projects	Provides: a location and a timeframe when replacement occurred. May include information on material	May require cross-referencing with construction practice at the time of service to determine materials used; typically limited to portion of service maintained by utility; retention policy for these records may be inconsistent	​Water system / municipal water department, municipal planning department (new subdivision construction)
Plumbing permits	Water system or local plumbing codes may require plumbers to obtain permits to replace service lines	Provides: a location and a timeframe when replacement occurred. May include information on material	May require cross-referencing with construction practice at the time of service to determine materials used; typically limited to portion of service maintained by the customers; adherence to permit requirement may be incomplete; retention policy for these tickets may be inconsistent	Municipal building permit / code enforcement department, water system / municipal water department

Construction practice

Sources	Description	Pros	Cons	Possible Locations
Utility construction standards and specifications	Water systems provide their own staff, contractors, and plumbers with standards for construction including service lines	Good reference: informed practice by water system and plumbers	Retention policy for these documents may be inconsistent; limited opportunity	Water system / municipal water department’s administrative records;  governing body (city or town council, etc.) records
Plumbing code; local ordinance	State and community plumbing codes specify, often by reference, pipe standards and specifications	Good reference: informed practice by water system and plumbers	Retention policy for these documents may be inconsistent; state plumbing codes are less likely to be useful than local codes	Municipal building permit / code enforcement department administrative records; governing body (city or town council, etc.) records; agency overseeing state plumbing code’s administrative records
Field experience	​Interviews with experienced water system distribution system field staff and plumbers active in the system’s service area	Can be used to: inform where to focus inventory effort and verify practice reflected in existing documentation; confirm absence of lead service lines	​Some communities may lack a long-term internal workforce or a local plumbing workforce; relies on memory of available field personnel; personnel interviewed are only familiar with the portion of the service line their work affected	Existing and retired water system personnel; local plumbing companies; local plumbers union
​​Summary notations of practice	​Reports to governing bodies, internal memoranda, purchasing records, annual reports, etc.	​Describes both water system and plumbing community practice	​Retention policy for these documents may be inconsistent	Water systems / municipal water department

Parcel records

Sources	Description	Pros	Cons	Possible Locations
Tax records	Municipal tax records provide a database that typically contains the date of home construction	​ Electronic resource; typically includes address, subdivision, building age, number of bedrooms / square footage (information that can be used to compare against construction practice to assess likelihood of a lead service line); typically map is available​	Requires cross-referencing with construction practice information from other sources; does not have information specifically about lead service line	​Municipal tax assessor’s office; centralized municipal government GIS office

Historical accounts

Sources	Description	Pros	Cons	Possible Locations
​Distribution system maps and record drawings	Should be a primary source of service line and connection information including materials, line sizes, and dates	​Useful indicating historical growth of system	​May lack desired level of detail, retention policy for these documents may be inconsistent	​Water systems / municipal water department
Capital improvement plans and maps	Historical CIPs can provide insight into historical installation patterns; current CIPs can be used to inform field investigations	​Useful indicating historical growth of system	May lack desired level of detail, retention policy for these documents may be inconsistent	​​Water systems / municipal water department
​Community planning documents and maps	Subdivision plots, planning reports, records of housing starts, types and placement of initial construction, and reconstruction / renovation efforts can be used to determine which homes were constructed during time period lead service lines were used	Generally available information	​Requires cross-referencing with construction practice information from other sources; may require a combination of historical documents to establish construction patterns at level of detail required	Municipal planning departments, regional planning agencies, public library, local historical society
​Newspaper accounts	​Changes in policy on topics of interest to the public, like lead, are sometimes captured in local media accounts	Generally available information	Limited potential for useful information	Newspaper, public libraries, local historical society