June 27, 2024 |
Photo – Lead pipe test image – Courtesy City of Rawlins
The City of Rawlins is asking residents to take part in an EPA required water line study. Testing the water line in your home for lead is important for all residents.
On Tuesday, Rawlins officials released a statement requesting everyone to fill out an Environmental Protection Agency survey. The media release states that the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule requires the city to check the entire community for the presence of lead in service lines.
Water & Wastewater Superintendent Bud Dimick is asking residents to identify the type of water line they have running into their homes. Dimick said by voluntarily completing the EPA mandated survey, people are helping the city and protecting yourself and your loved ones.
Dimick said the EPA study is meant to test your water line for lead. The federal government’s plan is to eventually remove all dangerous lead from the country’s water supply.
Lead exposure can cause serious health problems, including developmental delays in children and memory loss in adults.
Dimick said the city still uses a small number of lead pipes to transport water. However, the water superintendent said testing has never showed elevated lead levels in the city’s drinking water. Despite what past testing has shown, Dimick said the federal government is still demanding to know what homes contain lead fixtures. Complying with the survey will save the city a lot of trouble, said Dimick.
Rawlins Public Information Officer Mira Miller said the Environmental Protection Agency will not force residents to remove any lead pipes discovered during the survey. Miller said the data will be used by the EPA to formulate a strategy to address lead pipes in the future.
Water Superintendent Bud Dimick explained how to participate in the EPA mandated study. Dimick said residents should begin by locating the water line running into their homes.
After locating the line, check to see if a magnet sticks to the pipe. Dimick asked residents to scratch the pipe with a hard object, like a coin, and send a picture of the scratched area to the city.
The city has created a website and mailers informing residents about the survey. Public Information Officer Miller said residents will be asked for their address, water provider, the year their home was built, and contact information. Miller said the survey is easy to understand and complete.
Miller said the survey will be included with residents’ upcoming water bills. The public information officer said people can simply drop off the completed survey when they pay their bill.
Treatment Plant Operator Stevie Osborn said the city is working with local plumbers to help residents complete the survey when called for service.
The city’s Public Information Officer, Miller, said the city is offering to help residents who are unable to locate their water lines on their own. However, Miller said public works employees may be slow in responding to requests.
The City of Rawlins has until October 16th to complete the EPA mandated water service line inventory. To encourage participation, all surveys completed by July 31st will be entered to win a 35-quart Yeti brand cooler.
Flyers with a QR code to the survey can be found in city buildings and will be included with residents’ upcoming water bills. Bigfoot99 will also include a link to the online version of the survey when this story is posted to our website later today.
Rawlins Lead Service Line Survey: https://www.wyriskit.com/
