All community and non-transient, non-community water systems must develop an inventory to identify the materials of service lines connected to the public water distribution system by Oct. 16, 2024, according to Jill Bronaugh, communications director of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). She said that the inventory must include all service lines connected to the public water supply distribution system, regardless of ownership status to the exterior structure wall and must be made available for public review.
“The customer should voluntarily assist the water system in identifying line materials,” Bronaugh said. She said the state will compile the data and review it for completeness, then report the data to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Until the state receives Primacy from EPA, all enforcement of the rule will be conducted by the EPA. Local communities are asking residents to fill out voluntary surveys. The Harvey County Now asked cities what they were doing to meet the KDHE requirements. The City of Bentley contracted with WaterWise Enterprises, LLC, out of Oxford, Kansas, in January 2024 to manage surveys and compile information, according to City Administrator James T. Bryan. City Manager Ethan Reimer said that Halstead’s survey is based on an example survey that KDHE provided and includes questions both about the direct service line (the line running from the meter to the house) as well as the internal plumbing within the house/building. The City of Newton began its lead and copper rule process in February 2023 with a letter and plumbing materials survey mailed to its utility customers, according to Erin McDaniel, the City of Newton’s director of communications. She said they also made the survey available online. The City of North Newton issued a paper survey and included it in the monthly utility bill in November of 2023, according to City Administrator Kyle Fiedler. He said they then sent a second notice and a final notice to those accounts that did not return a survey. The deadline for the final notice is Monday, July 15. City Administrator Kyle Nordick said the City of Sedgwick is trying to collect the customer-side inventory information of the water distribution system through a survey they have mailed to residents twice. The survey is also available on the city’s website, cityofsedgwick.org, and at City Hall.
Source: Harvey County Now