Lead Service Line Inventory
US EPA, working through the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE), has required the City of Blair prepare an inventory of all water user service lines connected to Blair’s water system. That inventory has been prepared and submitted to NDEE.
The City of Blair was also required to send a notice of possible lead contamination to every water user whose service line is lead, galvanized steel, or “unknown”. Water users with modern copper service lines are included in the service but no notice was sent to them.
Water users are NOT required to do anything with this information. Annual notices must be sent to all water users who have lead, galvanized steel, or “unknown” service lines.
According to the Blair Municipal Code, the service line from the curb stop to the house is the responsibility of the property owner.
For those unable to tell what type of service line they have, the city can schedule an appointment for city staff to review their water service line to determine if it is lead or not at 402-426-4191 or by emailing water@blairnebraska.org.
Lead Service Line Inventory Notices Q & A
Q. Why did I receive a letter regarding my service line?
A. The EPA mandated that all public water systems complete an inventory of all lead, galvanized, or unknown service lines, and report to each property if their service line met one of these. All the safety information included in the letter was also mandated by EPA and the State of Nebraska.
Q. What do I need to do if my service line is lead or galvanized?
A. At this time there are no requirements to change the service line. You may at your own expense remove and replace the service line. If you do, please notify City Hall so we can update our records.
Q. Who is responsible for paying for the replacement of the service line if needed?
A. Per city code, the service line from the curb stop to the house is the property owner's responsibility. Currently, no federal, state, or local funds are available to help replace the service line. The City is monitoring federal and state legislation to ensure that if funds do become available that citizens and the City of Blair take full advantage of available funding.
Q. What if I was notified that my service line type was unknown?
A. You may either self-report the service line type to city hall or call to schedule a city employee to come to your property and inspect the service line. Please call (402) 426-4191 to report or schedule, allow 24-48 hours for city staff to be available to visit your property for a free inspection.
If you have questions on how you can determine the type of line, please refer to the handout you received in the mail. According to the EPA, it is recommended that you start with a magnet or scratch test. If the pipe is scratched with a coin, appears to be silver, and the magnet does not stick, the pipe is most likely lead.
If the magnet does stick and is a dull grey when scratched, then the pipe is galvanized steel. If the pipe is the color of a penny and the magnet does not stick, it is most likely copper. Finally, if the magnet does not stick, is off-white, yellow, or grey, and is joined with a clamp, screw, or glue, then this portion of pipe is plastic of a form of PVC.
Q. What happens if my “unknown” service line is found to not be lead or galvanized?
A. Your service line type will be updated in our inventory and you will not need to take further action.
Q. Why am I receiving this notice now.
A. The EPA dictated that a city-wide inventory be submitted to the State by October 15, 2024. EPA also required these notices be mailed out by November 15, 2024.