Bay Area Edition | July 2023

WATER League City ocials inventorying all water lines for lead, copper

DIVVYING RESPONSIBILITY Some water lines could have lead and copper pipes, which can be dangerous if they seep into water. The city is responsible for inventorying water lines from the water main to the water meter. Residents are responsible for checking water lines from the water meter to the property.

BY JAKE MAGEE

Conrmation will also require plenty of “boots on the ground,” with crews going to certain properties to conrm unknowns, Hooks said. For instance, as of mid-July, League City crews were visiting and investi- gating 27 multifamily complexes that could have lead and copper pipes. While League City is a relatively new city with plenty of new construction that doesn’t include dangerous materials in pipes, some areas of the city, such as the historic district, are more at risk of having lead and copper pipes, Hooks said. Fortunately, for the last eight to 10 years, League City has had an aggres- sive waterline replacement program, which has given the city a head start. The city is relatively young, too, which means there’s less likelihood of nding dangerous pipes. “We’re pretty condent we’re not going to nd much,” Hooks said. In fact, almost two-thirds of city and private service lines have been cleared because they were developed after 1989, when the state of Texas banned the use of lead pipes in water lines. Homes built before 1989 have a higher risk of having lead materials present in the line from the water meter to the home, said Sarah Greer Osborne, director of communications and community engagement. “We’re in good shape compared to other cities,” she said. Help from residents The work will require residents’ participation as well.

Water meter

Street

League City ocials are in the midst of the largest lead and copper pipe-re- lated project they’ve ever taken on, and it’s one every other city in the U.S. also has to complete. In December 2021, the U.S. Environ- mental Protection Agency released new regulations related to lead and copper pipes. By October 2024, every city in the country is required to inven- tory all service lines in the city. “It’s a massive undertaking,” Public Works Director Jody Hooks said of the work the city must complete in just over a year. If any pipes contain lead or cop- per, they will have to eventually be replaced. How that work will be funded is still a bridge the city has to cross, Hooks said. The Texas Water Development Board has made available $213 million for grants related to replacing lead and copper pipes. It’s most likely this money will go to less auent communities rst, but it’s possible League City could receive some of the money, depending on how much lead and copper is found in the city’s pipes, ocials said. Inventory requirements To inventory pipes, city ocials have to look through paperwork including building permits, inspec- tions and historical records to deter- mine exactly what each pipe is made of. The city has hired a consultant, CDM Smith, to help with the process, ocials said.

City-owned water line

Resident-owned water line

Water main

SOURCE: CITY OF LEAGUE CITYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

The city is required to check every pipe from the water main to each water meter. However, pipes from the water meter to the point of entry to the building are residents’ responsibility. City ocials are working on outreach programs, yers, social media posts and a website to educate residents of what will be required and how to inventory their service lines. Those materials will begin circulating later this summer. Regardless, city ocials ensured the city’s drinking water is safe. The city’s tap water is in full compliance with all federal, state and other guidelines. “By conducting this citywide inventory, we are not only following the new EPA guidelines, but we will be able to guarantee the identi- cation and removal of all potential lead service lines in our city,” Osborne said. While the EPA’s new regulations were released in December 2021, many questions remained as to what exactly would be required of cities. The city did not receive guidance until October 2022, which is why League City ocials did not begin inventorying the city’s pipes until summer 2023, ocials said.

League City workers in mid-July visited multifamily complexes to determine what their pipes were made of. COURTESY CITY OF LEAGUE CITY "BY CONDUCTING THIS CITYWIDE INVENTORY, WE ARE NOT ONLY FOLLOWING THE NEW EPA GUIDELINES, BUT WE WILL BE ABLE TO GUARANTEE THE IDENTIFICATION AND REMOVAL OF ALL POTENTIAL LEAD SERVICE LINES IN OUR CITY.” SARAH GREER OSBORNE, LEAGUE CITY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Did you know?

1 in 5 girls have

missed school because they did not have access to period products.* 1 in 5 girls have missed school because they did not have access to period products.* You can help by donating feminine hygiene products for use in CCISD nurses’ offices at several area locations. For more information: thealliancebayarea.org *University of Michigan School of Public Health

BAY AREA EDITION • AUGUST 2023