The City of Sanford is committed to providing you with clean, safe, reliable, and high-quality drinking water that consistently meets all state and federal regulations and exceeds all water quality requirements. As part of the nationwide efforts from the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) and our ongoing commitment to reducing lead exposure in drinking water, we are actively reviewing historical water service line records and working to identify all drinking water service line materials throughout the entire water distribution system on both the customer and utility sides of the water meter.
The City of Sanford regularly tests for several constituents including lead in its water distribution system. In the 2023 drinking water compliance testing, lead concentrations were measured significantly lower than the EPA’s current Action Level of 15 ppb (parts per billion) or ug/L (micrograms per liter). Even with the EPA’s proposed new action level of 10 ppb, the City’s water will remain well within compliance. You can check the City of Sanford Annual Drinking Water Quality Report Here.
The Lead and Copper Rule (LCR)
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), a federal law, authorizes EPA to establish regulations for public water systems. EPA first established the Lead and Copper Rule in 1991 to reduce exposure to lead and copper in nation’s drinking water supplies. The EPA released Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) in 2021 and the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) in 2023. EPA’s recent revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule place a new emphasis on identifying and replacing lead piping and fixtures, expanding testing for lead in water, and enhancing public education and awareness. The revisions impact all water utilities across the United States.
The treatment technique for the rule requires water systems to monitor and test drinking water at customer taps in certain homes that have lead in the plumbing. If lead concentrations exceed an action level of 15 ppb (or ug/L) or copper concentrations exceed an action level of 1.3 ppm (or mg/L) in more than 10% of customer taps sampled, the water system must undertake several additional actions to control corrosion and reduce lead exposure. If the action level for lead is exceeded, the water system must also inform the public about steps they should take to protect their health (public education) and may have to replace lead service lines under their control.
What is a Service Line?
Service lines are smaller pipes that connect the City of Sanford’s drinking water main to the customer’s property and carry water to your home or business from the water main, which is typically located in or near the street. The portion of the service line from the water main to the meter that is located within the public right of way is owned and maintained by the City (Water system-owned). The service line from the meter to the house or building is owned and maintained by the property owner (Customer-owned). Please refer to the diagram below for an example of a single-family service line connection. For some properties, the exact location of the meter and where responsibility shifts from the City of Sanford to the property owner may be different.
What is a Service Line inventory?
The EPA recently directed all water utilities in the United States to prepare an inventory of all water service line materials, for both the customer-owned portion and the city-owned portions of the service line pipe. The EPA’s regulations are intended to improve public protection from the risk of lead exposure by identifying lead service lines and expediting their removal from drinking water systems nationwide.
Lead can get into drinking water when service lines or plumbing materials that contain lead corrode. Lead was commonly used for service lines in the first half of the 20th century and was used in household plumbing fixtures and solder until lead solder was banned in the 1980s. Until legislation passed in 2014, “lead-free” plumbing could be up to 8 percent lead. Current standards for “lead-free” fixtures allow for no more than 0.25 percent of lead content.
The City of Sanford is proactively developing a comprehensive inventory of the entire water distribution system, which includes more than 20,000 residential and commercial service lines. It is crucial for the City to continue developing its service line inventory to identify the materials used in all service lines, ensuring the timely detection and replacement of any lead components. Currently, the City is identifying many service lines as City ‘s contractor is replacing water meters.
An interactive map with service line material information has been created by the City of Sanford. As the City completes its inventory of water service line materials, the information displayed on this map will be updated. The City’s current inventory of water service lines across the community can be viewed by entering your address in the interactive map here.
You may contact a licensed plumber who can help you determine your service line material and seek out other potential sources of lead in your plumbing. If you take steps to identify your service line material, please contact the City of Sanford at utilitycustomerservice@sanfordfl.gov with that information. Your assistance will help us develop a full lead service line inventory, an important step in our continued commitment to protect our community.
The EPA’s current objective is for all water systems nationwide to fully identify the materials on both the utility and customer sides of all service lines.
Service Line Look-up
Frequently Asked Questions
Lead is a naturally occurring element found in small amounts in the earth’s crust. While it has some beneficial uses, it can be toxic to humans and animals, causing health effects. For more information, refer to Lead | US EPA
Lead can be found in all parts of our environment, the air, the soil, the water, and even inside our homes. Federal and state regulatory standards have helped to reduce the amount of lead in air, drinking water, soil, consumer products, food, and occupational settings.
Lead and lead compounds have been used in a wide variety of products found in and around our homes, including paint, ceramics, pipes and plumbing materials, solders, gasoline, batteries, ammunition and cosmetics. The most common source of lead exposure is from paint in homes and buildings built before 1978. Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are the main sources of exposure from lead in children. Lead-based paints were banned for use in housing in 1978. Although the main sources of exposure to lead are ingesting paint chips and inhaling dust, lead also can be found in some household plumbing materials and in some older water service lines.
Floridan Aquifer is the primary source of drinking water in the City of Sanford. It is an underground water found in the spaces between soil particles and rocks and in cracks of the bedrock. When water is pumped from groundwater and goes thru the water treatment processes at the water plants, constituents such as lead are removed before leaving the plant to people’s homes. The water mains in the street that transport water from the treatment plants to your home are made mostly of iron or plastic and do not add lead to the drinking water.
Lead can enter the drinking water when service lines or plumbing materials that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures. Corrosion is a dissolving or wearing away of metal caused by a chemical reaction between water and your plumbing.
The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures. In homes with lead pipes that connect the home to the water main, also known as lead services lines, these pipes are typically the most significant source of lead in the water. Lead was commonly used for service lines in the first half of the 20th century and was used in household plumbing fixtures and solder until lead solder was banned in the 1980s. Lead pipes are more likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986. Among homes without lead service lines, the most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and plumbing with lead solder.
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) has reduced the maximum allowable lead content ,that is, content that is considered “lead-free” to be a weighted average of 0.25 percent calculated across the wetted surfaces of pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures and 0.2 percent for solder and flux.
For more information, see the EPA’s infographic regarding lead in drinking water. This infographic includes basic information about sources of lead in drinking water, suggestions for reducing exposure and information about replacing lead service lines.
Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems, slowed growth, hearing problems and anemia. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney, or nervous system problems. For more information, refer to “Learn About Lead” on the EPA’s website.
The City of Sanford has been in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) since the rule was first established in 1991. City staff regularly test for several constituents including lead and copper in its water distribution system per state and federal regulations. The City is currently required to test a selected number of homes throughout the distribution system every 3 years.
In the 2023 drinking water compliance testing, lead concentrations were measured significantly lower (below 1 ppb or ug/L) than the EPA’s current Action Level of 15 ppb or ug/L. Even with the EPA’s proposed new action level of 10 ppb, the City’s water will remain well within compliance. The reduced monitoring (every 3 yrs) is due to our low lead and copper levels. If you have further questions about the City of Sanford’s lead testing results and other information about your drinking water, check the City’s Annual Drinking Water Quality Report.
Homes may have internal plumbing materials containing lead. Since you cannot see, taste, or smell lead dissolved in water, testing is the only way to determine the levels of lead in your drinking water. A list of certified laboratories is available from your state or local drinking water authority.
It is recommended that you only use a laboratory that is state-certified for testing lead in drinking water; visit the NELAP Certified Laboratory Search and contact these laboratories directly for information on costs, sampling kits and sampling procedures. Also check the following link for further information on home water testing EPA Home Water Testing Facts (pdf).
The EPA has developed an online step-by-step guide to help people identify lead pipes in their homes called “Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead.”
If you have lead service line or internal plumbing that contains lead, the best step you can take to reduce your potential exposure to lead is to have it replaced.
The following are other actions you can take to reduce your potential exposure to lead in drinking water:
- If your water has not been used for several hours, run the cold-water faucet for 3 to 5 minutes (or until reaches a steady temperature) before using it for drinking or cooking. This will flush lead from interior plumbing.
- Only use cold water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula. Hot water may cause increases in lead concentrations at the tap. Boiling water does not remove or reduce lead from the water.
- Use a water filter that is certified to remove lead. Contact NSF International at 1-800-673-8010 or visit their website at nsf.org for more information on performance standards and certifications for water filters, or view the EPA’s Consumer Tool for Identifying Point-of-Use and Pitcher Filters Certified to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water.
- Identify and replace faucets and/or fixtures that are not lead-free or have been installed prior to 1989. Consult with a licensed plumber. Also, visit https://nepis.epa.gov and search for lead-free certification for more information.
- Clean your faucet aerators. Regularly clean your faucet’s screen (also referred to as an aerator). Sediment, debris, and metals, including lead particles, can collect in the aerator. If lead particles are caught in the aerator, lead can get into the water.
- Have your child’s blood tested for lead. Contact your local health department or health care provider to find out how you can get your child tested for lead if you are concerned about exposure.
For more information on reducing lead exposure around your home/building and the health effects of lead, visit the EPA Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water or contact your health care provider.
Websites:
- Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) | US EPA
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Lead and Copper Rule | US EPA
- Revised Lead and Copper Rule | US EPA
- Proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements | US EPA
- EPA’s infographic regarding lead in drinking water
- Learn about Lead | US EPA
- Lead | US EPA
- EPA Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water
- Florida Department of Environmental Protection Source and Drinking Water Program
- State of Florida: Monitoring Lead and Copper in Florida Drinking Water
- Florida Department of Health
- CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
- Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead
- American Water Works Association
- NSF Product Standards
- NELAP Certified Laboratory Search
- EPA Home Water Testing Facts (pdf)
- EPA’s Consumer Tool for Identifying Point of Use and Pitcher Filters Certified to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water
Hotlines:
- National Lead Information Center: 1-800-424-5323
- EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline: 1-800-426-4791
