The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency as part of the revised 2021 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, requires us to submit an inventory of all water service lines within the City of Westerville each year.

Once the inventory has been submitted, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act requires us to notify all consumers served through a public water system who have a water service connection that has been identified as being made of lead, galvanized steel, or of unknown materials. If you received this letter it means that either we have been unable to identify with certainty the material of your private water service connection, or your private water service connection has been identified as being made of galvanized steel. There are only a few galvanized steel water service lines in the City of Westerville, and there are few if any lead water service lines in the City of Westerville.

Over the last six months an analytical process was undertaken to determine that information. The process involved looking at prior records, inspections of public water services and inspections of service connections inside homes. In most instances if you received a letter we were unable to identify with certainty the material of your private water service connection.

To view more information about this process, please click on the following link:

Westerville Water Service Inventory Project Overview

In order for us to be able to reclassify the service line at your property to a known material, and to avoid being sent another letter next year when the inventory is updated, WE NEED YOUR HELP.

We are asking you to send us the following information:

• Name
• Address
• Contact phone number
• Email address
• Indicate the material of your water service line (Instructions on how to determine this here)
• Image of the incoming side of the piping at you water meter

• Email the information to publicservice@westerville.org
• or complete the form to submit the information here

You also have the option of having us come out to inspect and determine the material of your water service lines for you. To schedule an appointment please call us at (614) 901-6740 or email us at publicservice@westerville.org.

The letter you received is an indication that you either currently have a galvanized steel water service line or at one point you had one. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) refers to this as a galvanized requiring replacement (GRR) line. A GRR service line is where a galvanized service line is or was, at any time, downstream of a lead service line or is currently downstream of a “lead status unknown” service line. If the public water system is unable to demonstrate that the galvanized service line was never downstream of a lead service line, it must presume there was an upstream lead service line. Galvanized service lines can capture lead released from upstream lead service lines. Over time the particles can enter your drinking water, causing elevated lead levels. There is no safe level of lead in drinking water. Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious effects in all age groups, especially pregnant people, infants and young children.

You can find more information about lead in drinking water via the link: Information About Lead in Drinking Water

The regulations continue to evolve regarding galvanized steel water service lines. Galvanized water service lines may be required to be replaced at some point in the future.

We are happy to send a Westerville employee to your property to verify the water service line material. To schedule an appointment please call us at (614) 901-6740 or email us at publicservice@westerville.org.