Thursday, November 7, 2024–11:20 a.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
In the coming days, some Rome Water and Sewer customers will be receiving a letter informing them that they have galvanized lines as part of revisions to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s lead and copper rule.
Rome Water and Sewer Divisions Director John Boyd told Rome’s water and sewer committee on Thursday that some may be alarmed by the letter because it does mention lead. However, he wanted to stress that there was no lead detected in any of Rome’s service lines.
“Rome has been on reduced monitoring for lead and copper since the early 90s,” he said. “This is a transitioning time for the lead and copper rule where we had to touch the 20,000 service lines that we have. We found no lead service. We did find those galvanized lines, the majority of which are on the customer side. We will help them as best as we can. We will have about 165 galvanized services that we will replace them over the ten year period, and we were going to have to replace them anyway.”
Boyd explained the issue with galvanized lines.
“Because we do not have records that go back as early as these galvanized lines, if there was ever a lead fitting or a lead service, the galvanized lines could absorb the lead,” he said. “If it can absorb it, then it can release it.”
Essentially, even though no lead was detected at the present time, there is no proof that there was never any lead years and years ago.
The galvanized lines are located in pockets around Rome, namely downtown, Old East Rome, and other areas. Around 1,500 customers will be getting the letters. Anyone who gets a letter can contact the water and sewer department if they have any questions.
The lead and copper rule initially went into effect in 1991. The new guidelines stem from the water crisis in Flint, Michigan that began in 2014.
Rome received a $200,000 grant from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, so the work did not cost the city anything except time and effort. For the work, the water and sewer department partnered with 120Water, a company that assists governments to execute water safety, compliance, and wastewater monitoring programs.
