Lead Service Line Updates

EPA Lead & Copper Rule

Water Service Line Inventory

The City of Miramar is dedicated to ensuring safe drinking water to all its customers by following federal and state regulations. To reduce lead and copper levels in drinking water, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the Lead and Copper Rule Revision (LCRR) in December 2021, and the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) in October 2024. Key provisions include:

  1. Lead Service Line Replacement: Water systems are required to develop plans to replace lead service lines.
  2. Action Level Adjustments: The action level for lead has been lowered from 15 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 parts per billion (ppb), and systems must act if lead levels exceed this new threshold. The action level for copper remains at 1.3 parts per million (ppm).
  3. Monitoring Changes: The rule establishes new monitoring requirements, including a more stringent sampling protocol and a focus on schools and childcare facilities.
  4. Public Education: Water systems must provide clear information to the public about lead and copper levels, including actions they can take to reduce exposure.
  5. Additional Data Reporting: Systems must report on lead service line inventories and replacement progress to ensure transparency and accountability.

The rule reflects a significant effort to address the risks posed by lead in drinking water. Consequently, all community water systems (CWS) are required to conduct a water service line inventory. This inventory aims to identify any lead pipes present in both the public and private portions of the water distribution system. Several strategies were utilized to identify our service connections, including historical building records, permits, and plumbing codes, and a review of all field activities performed by the Utility.

The City of Miramar has completed its initial water service line inventory on October 16, 2024, which revealed approximately 3,869 instances of "lead status unknown" service lines in the distribution system. These service lines cannot be confirmed as either lead or galvanized steel due to insufficient records for the entire service line or for parts of the service line. The City of Miramar is actively performing field verifications to classify all “lead status unknown” service lines and finalize our inventory. We will provide timely updates of our progress and we welcome all questions and concerns.

View the Water Service Line Inventory Map

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