Lead & Copper Compliance
- Lead & Copper Rule
- Lead and Copper Rule Revisions
- Additional Resources
- Service Line Material Map
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Lead & Copper Rule
- Lead and Copper Rule Revisions
- Additional Resources
- Service Line Material Map
- Frequently Asked Questions
Lead and Copper Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Lead and Copper Rule in 1988 to reduce lead and copper contamination in drinking water. This rule has undergone multiple revisions since it was initially published. More recently, the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (2021) and proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (2023) strengthen protections against potential lead exposure through drinking water. All water systems in the U.S., including the City of Farmers Branch, are required to take new actions related to the new rules.
The City has maintained a Lead and Copper Sampling Program since the original Lead and Copper Rule was established in 1988. The purpose of this program is to provide safe water to our customers. Historically, the program included system-wide plans and procedures to monitor and maintain water quality and minimize lead and copper in the distribution system. The City performs frequent water quality sampling throughout the distribution system and lead and copper sampling at customer’s households to proactively monitor the water quality in our system. The City of Farmers Branch has complied with this rule since implementation and has taken action to test for lead every 3 years.
The EPA recently revised this rule, calling for cities nationwide to inventory water lines for lead presence to ensure water is not being contaminated when traveling through their pipes. Most homes do not have lead pipes since cities stopped using this material around the 1960s. However, the 2023 Rule Improvements require a city-wide service line material inventory to identify houses that may still unknowingly use lead waterlines. Each city must submit the inventory by October 2024 and make it publicly available for customer review. It has been a long-standing practice of the City to identify and replace any materials found throughout the distribution system that may decrease the water quality of the system. Since monitoring for lead and copper in 1989, the City has always been compliant with the Lead and Copper Rule. See our lead sampling results as reported by Texas Drinking Water Watch below, note that sampling results have not been above the 15ug/l action level and have remained below 5ug/l in the last decade:
| Sampling Year | Type | #Samples | Measure (ug/l) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 90th Percentile | 30 | 10 |
| 2010 | 90th Percentile | 30 | 14.6 |
| 2013 | 90th Percentile | 30 | 2.22 |
| 2016 | 90th Percentile | 30 | 1.8 |
| 2019 | 90th Percentile | 30 | 1 |
| 2022 | 90th Percentile | 30 | 1.1 |
Lead and Copper Rule Revision and Lead and Copper Rule Improvements
The EPA published the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (2021) and Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (2023) in an effort to strengthen the requirements of the LCR. The most relevant updated requirements are:
- Expand the sampling program in accordance with the recent revisions of the Lead and Copper Rule, the expanded sampling will begin in 2028.
- Develop and maintain a publicly accessible service line material inventory. This inventory allows customers to view the material type of City-owned (public) and customer-owned (private) service lines throughout the distribution system. The figure below distinguishes between a public and private service line.
- Develop a service line identification strategy to identify unknown City-owned (public) and customer-owned (private) service lines.
- Update sample sites, sample procedures and response actions to ensure sampling is conducted to optimally capture any potential lead exposure through the drinking water.
- Strengthen the City’s public outreach to provide more accessible information and awareness to customers, including targeted outreach to schools and childcare facilities regarding their water quality.
The City has taken proactive measures to address the changes in the regulation and has taken several steps towards compliance:
- Completed an initial risk and resource assessment with Freese and Nichols, Inc. (2023) to identify and implement new goals for the City's Sampling Program to comply with the revisions of the Lead and Copper Rule.
- Performed a comprehensive record and data review to develop an initial service line material inventory.
- Identified service line material for every school and licensed childcare center in the distribution system.
- Conducting ongoing field investigations to identify any unknown service line materials.
- Conducting lead and copper testing every three years at selected homes to monitor system-wide water quality.
Additional Resources
Want to know more? Please refer to the links below:
EPA
- EPA Lead in Drinking Water Information
- EPA Lead and Copper Rule Next Steps (LCRR) (PDF)
- Proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements | US EPA (LCRI)
- Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead | US EPA
CDC
TCEQ
Interactive Service Line Material Map
In our commitment to transparency and public health, we are pleased to present our Interactive Service Line Material Map. This easy-to-use online tool is designed in response to the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), allowing you to quickly determine the composition of your service line. By entering your address, you can view detailed information about the material of your service line, including both the public-side service line – extending from the water main to the water meter – and the private-side service line – running from the water meter to your home. This map displays the latest available information on service line materials.
If you have updated records or information regarding the service line to your address, please contact the Department of Public Works at 972-919-2597 or by email.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you still have questions about Farmers Branch and lead and copper compliance? See the FAQs page for more information.