The Blue Lake Springs Mutual Water Company (BLSMWC) is committed to providing safe drinking water to all its Shareholders by following all Federal and State regulations.
The State Water Resource Control Board, in alignment with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), enforces the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). The LCR is a Federal regulation that limits the concentration of lead and copper allowed in public drinking water. The US EPA recently made changes to the LCR with the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR).
To ensure public water systems are reducing lead exposure to their customers, the US EPA is requiring all public water purveyors to complete a Lead Service Line Inventory (LSL Inventory). The objective of the LSL Inventory is to determine if there are any lead pipes in the water distribution system on both the BLSMWC and Shareholder sides of the water service. This inventory must be completed and submitted by October 16, 2024.
The BLSMWC is working diligently to meet the October 16, 2024 deadline and will post periodic updates on this webpage.
The BLSMWC keeps records of the water mains and accessories, and it has certified that no lead is present in its system. However, there is little to no information regarding the Shareholder-owned portions of the water service line. The BLSMWC staff will investigate all Shareholder water service lines on homes built before January 1, 1986.
To determine the material of the Shareholder water service lines, the BLSMWC crew members may perform the following:
- Use hand tools to excavate the area in and around the Shareholder’s water box.
- Possibly perform scratch tests on pipes to determine the pipe material.
- Document pipe material with photos.
- Catalog pipe material found on the Shareholder water service line, as well as the nearest spigot or hose bib.
BLSMWC crew members will be working mostly in the area of the Shareholder’s water box and the closest water spigot after the meter box. Crew members will not need access to the inside of the Shareholder’s home.
The water service line is the pipe infrastructure that supplies water from the BLSMWC’s meter to the Shareholder’s home. This line begins after the meter and connects to the house’s inlet. The BLSMWC operates and maintains the pipe from the main up to and including the water meter. The Shareholder’s responsibility begins after the water meter and all the pipe downstream going toward the home. These water service lines can be made up of several materials, such as galvanized steel, copper, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), or polyethylene (PEP).
The BLSMWC began its review and planning stages of the LSL Inventory project in April/May 2024.
The BLSMWC will begin its pilot phase of surveying the identified water service lines in June 2024 and will continue until October 16, 2024.
The BLSMWC crew members will be working on the LSL Inventory project Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from June 2024 to October 16, 2024.
The BLSMWC crew members will be using hand tools to expose the water service line at your home. The crew members will have proper identification on hand at all times.
