ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced that the County’s Department of Public Works will enhance water quality protections with the launch of its Service Line Stewardship Program, in accordance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR).
The EPA’s LCRR aims to better guard children and communities from the risks of lead exposure by removing lead lines from our nation’s drinking water systems, enhancing protections for children at schools and childcare facilities, and empowering communities through information. These regulations aim to address potentially elevated lead levels in drinking water nationwide and one key step to this effort, is requiring public water systems to identify and publicize the locations of lead service lines in their jurisdictions by October 16, 2024.
“Every person who lives, works, plays, and grows in Howard County should have access to safe and clean water. As we continue to meet state and federal safety standards, ensuring the integrity of our water quality is a top priority,” said Ball. “That is why our Department of Public Works team has begun the necessary work to inventory our utility lines to ensure we are in compliance with these EPA revisions. I am pleased to report that, to date, there are no known County-owned lead service lines in our drinking water distribution system.”
DPW’s SLSP offers a comprehensive approach to gathering the required water service line material inventory data by October 2024. This includes asking Howard County property owners to self-report the material of the private service line within their homes. A private service line is the pipe that connects a property to the public water supply and is typically found in a home’s basement or crawlspace.
Since Maryland law ended the use of lead service lines in 1972, only homes built in or prior to 1972 and homes for which the County has no record of the customer-side service line material will be notified. Eligible properties will receive a letter from the County via U.S. Mail with instructions on how to identify their service line material and a QR code that will direct participants to the survey online.
DPW has also launched a website where residents can learn more about the SLSP, as well as information about the EPA’s LCRR regulations and the steps the County is taking to meet the program’s objectives. Once complete, the County’s service line inventory and results from the self-reporting survey will also be posted on this site.
“Community collaboration and awareness are important to the success of the Service Line Stewardship Program,” said Yosef Kebede, Director, DPW. “Through this vital initiative, we not only fulfill regulatory requirements but also empower residents to actively participate in helping protect our water infrastructure.”
DPW’s SLSP is an ongoing initiative reflecting the County’s sustained commitment to deliver quality water services to the community.
For questions and/or more information about this program and/or forthcoming survey, please contact DPW’s SLSP team at 410-313-7577 or email slsp@howardcountymd.gov.
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