GROVELAND – The Groveland Water and Sewer Department, like other public water supplies around the nation, has been engaged in a long-term plan to rid the community of the last remaining lead service lines installed in some of the town’s oldest homes, and the Department wishes to provide an update on the steps it is taking to comply with the latest federal lead and copper rules for public water.
In line with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) latest guidance, Groveland’s latest initiative is to conduct an updated service line inventory and identify what material each line is composed of throughout the town.
As part of its effort to align with the newest EPA standards, Groveland Water and Sewer has hired an engineering firm, Environmental Partners/Apex, to review system records and identify lead or galvanized water services. The engineering firm has received the Department’s existing database of service line materials, and the next step is to fill in the data that is not currently on file. This means that residents who do not have their service line material on file with the department will receive a MassDEP required template letter from Groveland Water to help complete this process.
Groveland needs to identify the material used on 1,166 service lines.
Groveland Water and Sewer reminds residents that these letters do not necessarily mean that their service line material is made with lead. However, because the department does not currently have a record of what the line is made of, by regulation the government out of an abundance of caution defines unknown or unlisted service lines as “could be lead” until a material is named and identified for the database.
Letters will be sent out by Nov. 15. Residents who do not receive a letter should assume that their information is currently on file and no action is required. (Virtually all homes constructed in the past 40 years are free of lead pipes and lead service lines, as lead was banned from service line use in 1986)
Residents who receive a letter, should utilize the QR code located on the letter and fill out the necessary information to help the department collect the required data. Residents can also call the Water Department, and schedule a crew member to come identify the service material.
Over the next few years, Groveland Water and Sewer will be working to eliminate all lead, galvanized, or unknown material from the water system.
For frequently asked questions about these new rules, click here.
Groveland does not have any remaining lead water mains. It is believed that any remaining lead lines are specifically those running from the road into a small number of homes that have not changed their service lines. The Town owns the service from the water main to the curb stop (a buried valve in your front yard), the homeowner owns from the curb-stop into their home. The Water Department owns the residential meter, but all valving and internal plumbing is owned by the homeowner.
Groveland Water and Sewer would like to thank residents for their continued support.