Portland is ahead of the curve in meeting new EPA regulations for lead in drinking water

Published

October 15, 2024 9:30 am

In this article

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its new lead and drinking water rule last week. The great news for Portland is that we already meet key requirements of the new rule.

The EPA aims to significantly reduce exposure to lead in drinking water in communities across the country by:

• requiring that all lead service lines be removed within ten years
• lowering the regulatory level for lead to ensure appropriate drinking water treatment
• improving how water utilities communicate and partner with those most vulnerable to lead in drinking water

Read on for more about the new lead rule and how we're reducing our community's exposure to lead in drinking water.

Portland has no lead service lines

Service lines are the pipes that bring water from large water mains to homes and buildings. Portland does not have any lead service lines.

A top priority of the EPA's new rule is identifying and removing all lead service lines nationwide within ten years. Service lines are the pipes that bring water from large water mains to homes and buildings.

In many cities, service lines made of lead are common. In Portland, we are fortunate that we never used lead service lines and Portland's water system does not contain lead pipes. In 2024, we completed the EPA-required service line inventory,which confirmed what we already knew: there are no lead service lines in Portland.

In Portland, rather than coming from service lines, lead enters drinking water from certain home and building plumbing materials, such as copper pipes with lead solder or brass plumbing fixtures. Those materials and fixtures can corrode (or wear away) and add lead to the water.

Portland's drinking water treatment significantly reduces lead

At our Improved Corrosion Control Treatment facility, we treat our water to reduce the amount of lead that can dissolve into the water from home and building plumbing materials.

The EPA's new rule also lowers the regulatory level for lead in drinking water. If lead levels are above the new regulatory level, water providers will have to make treatment changes to reduce lead levels. With our improved corrosion control treatment, which went live in April 2022, we already meet this requirement. Our improved treatment changes the chemistry of our water to make it less corrosive, which reduces the amount of lead that can dissolve into the water.

Our test results show this investment is paying off! Every year, we collect water samples from homes that have lead solder in their plumbing systems. These samples help us monitor how well our treatment is working. Lead levels at these homes have dropped significantly since our Improved Corrosion Control Treatment Facility came online.

Portland continues to provide free lead testing

Water providers are responsible for providing high-quality water, but they can't control plumbing materials inside homes and buildings. Because of this, the EPA now requires water utilities to provide their customers with lead testing-including testing water at schools and childcare facilities-and clear steps people can take at home to reduce lead exposure.

Portland has provided free lead testing and extensive lead-in-water education for almost 30 years.

Since 2017, Portland has also partnered with schools and childcare facilities to test their drinking water for lead. Children are most impacted by exposure to lead, and providing free water testing for these facilities is one way that we help protect those most vulnerable. Because of this existing testing program, we are well situated to meet the new regulations.

Looking to the future

Public health is our top priority. We're always working to keep your drinking water safefrom lead and other potential contaminants.

We are already working on our next water treatment investment, the upcoming Bull Run Filtration Facility. Scheduled to be completed in 2027, filtration combined with corrosion control should reduce lead levels at customer taps even more. These investments ensure we can deliver high-quality, safe drinking water for generations to come.

Learn more about how we are investing in treatment projects for our health

If you are concerned about lead in your drinking water, you can request a free lead-in-water test kit online. You can also follow some easy steps to reduce your exposure to lead in water.

Learn more about lead and drinking water