The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Lead and Copper Rule in 1991 to reduce exposure to lead and copper in water. In 2023, the EPA proposed the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) intended to reduce public exposure to lead. Under the LCRI, water utility companies must assemble lead service line inventory for customer-owned service lines and produce an annual lead service line notification. To learn more about the Lead and Copper rule, visit the US Environmental Protection Agency website.
Lead Service Line Inventory
Although the District’s water and pipelines are lead free, in summer 2024 the District collected an inventory of the pipe material of customer-owned water service lines (the pipe section from the water meter to the home or business). This inventory is part of a federal mandate known as the Lead and Copper Rule, which includes a nationwide effort to study private water service pipeline material. To achieve compliance with this mandate, the District created a method to develop the inventory that was approved by the California Department of Drinking water. Through a combination of historical records review, field investigations, and reported testing results by customers, the District determined it has no lead or galvanized service lines in its distribution system. This includes any privately-owned or customer-owned service lines. For more information, click here.
Lead and Copper Sampling Program
The EPA requires water agencies, including the Goleta Water District, to test water for lead and copper at a set number of service connections (depending on the number of customers served) that are at a higher risk for lead in tap water due to their plumbing characteristics. Water suppliers are not required to test the tap water of every customer.
As part of this requirement, the District collects information from property owners who may qualify for this free sampling service throughout the year. All detectable water system testing results, including those for lead and copper, are published annually as part of the District’s Consumer Confidence Report: www.goletawater.com/water-quality/consumer-confidence-report
