Watertown to replace lead and galvanized piping | Lebanon | lebanondemocrat.com

The city of Watertown will be sending out letters to customers near waterline connections that need replacing.

Watertown Certified Water Operator J.C. York informed the city council that the Environmental Protection Agency has dictated that all water services nationwide need to know what’s in the ground. If any lead or galvanized piping is found, it has to be removed.

“Over the last year and a half, we’ve been tasked with doing what’s called a lead service line inventory,” York said.

All of Watertown’s 714 connections have been examined, including connections on both the utility side and consumer side.

“You’re going to have 10 years to replace (the city’s) part of these lines,” York said. “You’ve got to do a minimum of 10% each year. You’ve got a little less than 200 to do, so a little less than 20 a year. It’s actually not too terrible.”

Consumers near a utility connection that needs replacing, or who have a connection on their property that contains lead, or galvanized piping will receive a letter from the utility district.

“There’s currently nothing in the rule that says the customer has to replace their side, but there is something in the rules that say I’ve got to send this letter to them every year,” York said. “When they do replace it, they’re supposed to let us know and we can take them off the list.”

York explained that the water system begins at the wellhouse, where treatment occurs. From there, it’s pumped to the tank before it gravity feeds through the water mains throughout town.

“Connected to the water main is a connector and connected to that connector is what’s called a pigtail,” York said. “All of these galvanized lines that we have seen have lead pigtails.”

As the rules are currently written, the city is responsible for the connections from the water main to the water meter.

“From that water meter into the customer’s house, the way the rule is currently written, that is recommended for them to replace and will be their cost,” York said.

Through work on the Watertown Sewer Project, water operators have discovered that most of the city’s water mains are cast iron. When those were put together, lead was poured in the joint.

“Over time, there’s been enough corrosion that’s happened (that) the EPA says that lead is exposed to the inside of the water pipe,” York said. “Anytime we make replacements to these service lines, and we find this pipe, it’s also supposed to come out. That’s going to be your biggest expense in this.”

According to Watertown Mayor Mike Jennings, some of the affected lines have been in place since the 1940s, with sewer lines being in place since the 60s.

“Fo 80 years, we’ve apparently gotten our money’s work, but it’s time for them to be replaced,” Jennings said.

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