Item 8 — original pdf

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Lead Strategies Update Matt Cullen, P.E. | Water & Wastewater Commission September 14, 2022 Agenda  Background/Austin’s history  EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions  Lead Service Line Inventory  Federal Funding for Lead Related Work  Additional Requirements: School and Child Care Facility Education and Sampling EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR)  Goal: Further reduce exposure to lead in drinking water  Final LCRR regulations issued on January 15, 2021  Placed under federal review until December 16, 2021, when made effective  Current LCRR compliance date for water systems: October 16, 2024 • Complete Lead Service Line Inventory facilities over five-year period • Begin mandatory public education activities and coordination of lead sampling for schools & childcare  EPA is preparing Lead and Copper Rule Improvement to be released prior to October 2024 Lead Service Line Inventory Lead pipe  Identify water service line materials • Includes public and private service line  Categorize service line material • Non-lead • Lead • Lead Status Unknown • Galvanized Requiring Replacement  Complete by October 16, 2024 and submit to TCEQ  AW Goal: All service lines in “non-lead” category Lead Service Line Inventory  Meters in AW’s System • Total – 252,000 • Non-lead due to age – 196,000 • Non-lead due to field investigation – 17,350 • Galvanized – 1,350 • Still to be field investigated – 37,300  On track to be complete by late 2023/ early 2024 Public Side Materials 1,350 37,300 213,350 Not Lead TBD Galvanized Private Side Materials 700 37,300 214,000 Not Lead TBD Galvanized Federal Funding for Lead Related Work  Funding allotted in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF)  AW submitted the galvanized service replacement program to Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) for funding, but the project was not selected.  AW continuously analyzes projects for potential DWSRF funding.  AW is tracking costs for developing inventory, future school and childcare sampling, and potential galvanized service replacements. School & Child Care Facility Activities Regulatory requirements beginning as of October 16, 2024:  Provide lead education materials to all schools and licensed childcare facilities • Health risk information • EPA’s 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Toolkit  Coordinate and schedule for lead sampling of facilities between Oct. 2024 – Oct. 2029 • Required for all elementary schools and childcare facilities • Upon request for secondary schools • Not required for buildings constructed after 2013 • Facilities can decline sampling activity • 20% of elementary schools and childcare facilities per year • 5 samples per school, 2 samples per childcare facility  AW provides sampling instructions, bottles, lab analysis, and reporting of results • School/facility staff can collect samples • Procedures based on EPA’s 3Ts guidance School & Child Care Facility Activities AW has previously researched the water lines serving schools and childcare facilities and found no lead piping In the meantime, AW is:  Available as a resource for information and guidance for facilities  Compiling a list of schools and childcare facilities served  Developing a communication plan for engaging stakeholders  Creating education and guidance materials  Planning for staffing resources  Remaining in compliance with current lead regulations • Most recent round of compliance sampling in 2021 had a lead 90th percentile value of 0.0 mg/L  Free voluntary program launched by TCEQ in September 2022 • Open to all schools and childcare facilities • Parents and community members can nominate Customer Requested Lead Sampling  Information available at: www.austintexas.gov/lead  Includes contact information to request testing. Summary  AW customers are at very low risk of exposure to lead through water: • Lack of lead services in AW’s system and in private plumbing • AW’s treatment and water characteristics  AW is well positioned to be in compliance with the LCRR ahead of schedule: • Currently providing testing as-requested in addition to required routine testing • Service line inventory well underway • No need for lead service line replacement program (replace as found) • Preparing for school and childcare facility sampling program now