- Home
- Departments
- Public Works
- Lead and Copper Rule
Lead and Copper Rule
In 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Lead and Copper Rule to protect public health and minimize Lead and Copper in Drinking Water. In 2021, the U.S. EPA issued revisions in which the Lead and Copper Rules Revision Inventory requires the Water Systems to prepare an inventory of all the water service line materials for city-owned and customer-owned portions of the service line pipe. The City of Kerman is required to report its findings to the EPA by October 2024.
The City of Kerman is dedicated to maintaining our compliance record with the Lead and Copper Rule by providing our customers with clean, safe water that consistently meets or exceeds all state and federal water quality requirements. The following measures are being taken by the city:
- We are continuously monitoring and sampling our water system to ensure the water is safe to drink and complies with all federal and state standards.
- We are maintaining approved treatment standards historically shown to minimize lead exposure.
- We comply with the new requirements by actively working to identify all drinking water service line materials throughout the water system and preparing a service line inventory according to the EPA’s regulations.
The City is working diligently to meet the October 2024 deadline and will post periodic updates on this project webpage. Any questions or concerns can be directed to Michael Barajas, Public Works Director, at (559) 846-9343 or Harmeen Kaur, Administrative Analyst at (559) 846-9372.
A Water Service line is a smaller pipe that carries water to your home or business, (including both privately and publicly owned) from the City of Kerman's water main, which is typically located in or near the street. The portion of the service line from the water main to the meter that is located within the public right of way is owned and maintained by the City. The service line from the meter to the house or building is owned and maintained by the property owner.
The Lead Service Line Inventory directs the water system to undergo a record review of all construction and plumping codes, permits, inspections and records, and distribution system maps and drawings which indicate the service line materials used to connect the structures (regardless of ownership status) to the distribution. These water service lines can be made up of several materials such as Lead, Galvanized Steel, Copper, or Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC).
In collaboration with various City departments and contracted engineering firm- Yamabe & Horn Engineering, Inc., the City was able to pull up the historical records. The historical records consist of the address maps, tracts, and parcel maps built in specific years which was useful to shortlist the areas built in 1986 and earlier. With existing knowledge of the data that was collected and verified using historical records, we were able to calculate and distinguish the number of service lines that were categorized by the years built-1800s, 1900 to 1950, and 1950 to 1986. The field verification includes a physical inspection by potholing and using hand tools to record the pipe material at the meter box and the spigot/hose bib. A metal detector will also be used to verify the material. A door hanger or a notice will be mailed out to the customers who are chosen randomly for inspection and not because there is a concern that there is lead in the drinking water.