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Notice of Unknown Service Line Material

This notice contains important information about your drinking water. Please share this information with anyone who drinks and/or cooks using water at this property.

In 1986, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act, which banned the use of lead and lead solder in plumbing. Homes constructed after this time should not contain any lead in their plumbing. Recently, the EPA revised the Lead and Copper Rule under the Safe Drinking Water Act to require that all public utility providers in the United States take an inventory of the service line on the customer’s side of the meter. This rule states that if building documents do not specifically state what the line is made of (such as PVC or poly tubing), the utility must include it on the Unknown Material List. You are receiving this letter because building records did not state the material of construction used on the customer-owned service line on your property.

Polk County Utilities does not use lead in any of its county-owned service lines. Only the portion of the service line on the customer’s side of the water meter is made of a material that was unspecified in building records.

What’s next?

Polk County Utilities (PCU) will begin visiting neighborhoods to expose a portion of service lines at the water meter to determine if lead is present. Not every home on the Unknown Material List will have its service line exposed. PCU will use a sampling process to determine if customer-owned service lines in a certain area contain lead. PCU will launch the sampling process of its Lead and Copper Service Line Inventory Program within the next six months. If lead or lead solder is found to be in any service lines, the utility will take steps to remove them.

Is there lead in Polk County’s water?

For decades, PCU has performed testing on its water supply and has been below the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule standard of 15 parts per billion (ppb) of lead in potable water. All public water utilities are required to perform testing of the water serving homes, schools and daycares to ensure this standard is met.

We test the quality of our water every day to keep you safe. PCU provides annual water quality reports for you to review. Find the latest water quality report for your area at www.polkfl.gov/services/utilities.

www.polkfl.gov/services/utilities/lead-and-copper/

PCU has made a webpage available to keep you updated on the Lead and Copper Service Line Inventory Program. This page also includes additional resources and information.

Until your customer-owned service lines are verified lead-free:

If you are worried that your customer-owned service line may contain lead or lead solder, follow the best practices below. These practices may be used individually or in combination with each other.

Use filters certified to remove lead. Polk County Utilities is providing faucet filters to homeowners with pipes on the Unknown Material List at no cost. Call (863) 298-4100 to request a filter.
Clean your aerator, which is the screen on your faucet.
When the water in your home has been sitting, run your water to flush the pipes.
Use cold water from the tap.

From the EPA:

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.

Have questions?

Reach out to the Polk County Utilities team:

Ashley Pike
Compliance Projects Supervisor
(863) 298-4216

Craig Kristof
Senior Environmental Specialist
(863) 298-4281

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