Water systems must notify the public and in particular the residents or users of a building with service lines that are lead, galvanized requiring replacement or lead status unknown (but not non-lead).

​Notices must be provided in two circumstances:
  1. Annual notice to all persons served based on the service line inventory;
  2. New customer notices must be provided to new customers – usually those buying an existing home – when the water service is initiated.

Water systems must begin providing notices within 30 days of completion of the LSL inventory.

Note that there are other public notice, public education and regular consumer awareness requirements including the annual Consumer Confidence Report that include information on lead in drinking water. These are not covered here because they are not focused on LSL replacements. ​
Opportunities to Accelerate Replacement
These regular notices can be important tools to engage households, especially as part of a broader communication effort.
​
Communities may consider:
  • Moving quickly to begin notifying customers and consumers so they have the system working smoothly and effectively by January 2024.
  • Starting with notices to customers who have an LSL, then expand stepwise first to customers with unknown material, and then again to consumers who are not customers such as residents in apartments and condominiums or tenants in commercial buildings.
  • Making special efforts to notify child care facilities and schools that they have a lead, galvanized requiring replacement, or lead status unknown material.
  • Reaching out to landlord associations, housing development organizations, and building permit agencies to explain the notification process and the information.
  • Engaging realtors, home inspectors, and plumbers to help reach and engage property owners with lead and galvanized service lines requiring replacement.
  • Sharing notice language with local/state health departments for awareness and creating a process for customers receiving notices to reach out to health department staff or their primary care provider for additional information.
  • Strategies to reach non-English speaking neighborhoods, including working through community organizations.
Resources