The City of Maitland has embarked on a comprehensive project to comply with the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), aimed at protecting public health by reducing lead and copper levels in drinking water.
Lead Service Line Inventory and Replacement Plan
The city is required to complete a Lead Service Line Inventory and develop a replacement plan by October 16, 2024, as part of the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvement (LCRI) proposal released earlier this year and has partnered with B&N to catalog its approximately 5,000 services. This initiative involves categorizing service lines on both public or private portions of the service and classifying them based on their material composition, such as Lead, Galvanized Requiring Replacement, Non-Lead, or Lead Status Unknown.
Data Collection and Categorization
To achieve these goals, data was collected from various sources, including historical building records and parcel data from the Orange County Property Appraiser (OCPA). This data collection helps identify the actual materials of service lines. By prioritizing neighborhoods for investigation and clarifying policies on irrigation lines with the FDEP, a detailed GIS shapefile is being created. This shapefile will visualize the data, indicating material types and ownership of service lines and will facilitate the future requirement of comprehensive public access to the information.
Field Verification
The project includes initial field verifications for a portion of the system using the ESRI Field Maps application to reduce the number of unknown status lines. Once data collection and verification are complete, the EPA’s Lead Service Line Inventory Template will be filled out, detailing public water system information, inventory methods, and public accessibility documentation. A draft Lead Service Line Replacement Plan will be produced, incorporating strategies for material determination, replacement procedures, customer notifications, and prioritization based on community needs.
Why This Project Is Important
This project addresses a critical public health issue by ensuring that drinking water is safe from harmful lead and copper contamination, protecting residents, especially vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly, from serious health risks. Secondly, it helps Maitland comply with stringent federal and state regulations, avoiding potential legal and financial penalties. By enhancing the city's infrastructure and safeguarding public health, this project contributes to the overall well-being and safety of Maitland's residents.