Service Line Inventory Project

About the Project

The Service Line Inventory project is part of TVWD’s ongoing work to provide safe, reliable drinking water.

The project confirmed there are no lead service lines in our system. With this proactive effort, TVWD met new federal requirements well ahead of the October 2024 deadline. Identifying lead service lines and replacing them, if found, is important to protecting public health. 

Installation records and prior inspections suggested that our potential to find lead service lines was very low. 

Factors contributing to the low probability of lead in our system:

DATE OF INSTALLATION

Lead was banned in 1985.

PIPE MATERIALS

Lead service lines were not commonly used in Oregon.

SYSTEM RECORDS

Copper is the primary service line material in our system.

When is the inventory?

JULY 2023
PROJECT STARTS

SUMMER 2023-FALL 2024
PROJECT UNDERWAY

OCTOBER 2024
PROJECT COMPLETION

Lead is generally not found in the source waters that supply your drinking water.

Lead is generally not found in the source waters that supply your drinking water, nor is it introduced through the treatment processes TVWD uses to keep your water safe. However, when the drinking water distributed by TVWD comes into contact with plumbing materials that contain lead, a small amount of that lead may dissolve into the water. The most common source of lead in TVWD's system is lead solder, which was used prior to 1986 to connect copper pipes.

How water gets to your home tap

What is a service line?

Service lines are the smaller pipes that connect to the larger water main pipes, usually under the street, that bring water to your home or business.

Service Line Inventory Project Confirms TVWD Has No Lead Service Lines

TVWD has completed the Service Line Inventory Project and confirmed there are no lead service lines in the water system.

This achievement meets the October 16, 2024 deadline set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which requires public water systems to document the materials that make up both public and private service lines. TVWD completed and submitted the inventory to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) in September 2024.

How were properties selected?

TVWD is using a statistically-sound method approved by the Oregon Health Authority to confirm that there are no lead service lines in our system. Beginning in July 2023, crews will be inspecting approximately 380 randomly selected service lines across the District.

Map for illustration purposes only. Not representative of an actual neighborhood nor actual properties selected for inventory.

General FAQs

  • The Service Line Inventory project is a part of our ongoing work to provide safe, reliable drinking water. This Project proactively addresses new federal requirements that direct public water systems, such as TVWD, to identify if any lead service lines in their water systems. TVWD has completed the inventory in advance of the October 2024 deadline and confirmed that lead service lines aren’t present in our water system.

  • TVWD’s system records and prior field observations tell us that our potential to find lead service lines is very low. If your home was built after 1985, you do not have a lead service line, since that was when lead was banned in Oregon.

  • TVWD is using a statistically-sound method approved by Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to confirm there are no lead service lines in our system. Crews will conduct field investigations of a randomly selected subset of service lines to verify the material is not lead. Since the probability of finding lead service lines is already very low, (as a result of regional construction practices and prior lead bans) TVWD’s approach is designed to be cost-effective and efficient with minimal impact on customers.

    The inventory work consists of a visual inspection of the service line near the water meter. By exposing a portion of the service line, crews will be able to identify the pipe material. After inspection, crews will restore the area as near as possible to its prior condition. The inventory work consists of a visual inspection of the service line near the water meter. The inspection is done by exposing a portion of the service line to identify the pipe material. After the line is inspected, the area will be restored as near as possible to the condition prior to the inspection.

  • Lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health, particularly children. Lead is generally not found in TVWD’s source waters that supply your drinking water, nor is it introduced through the treatment processes used to keep your water safe. However, when the drinking water distributed by TVWD comes into contact with plumbing materials that contain lead, a small amount of that lead may dissolve into the water. Lead, which was more commonly used in certain parts of the United States for service lines prior to being banned during the mid-eighties, can be a source of lead in drinking water.

  • While lead service lines are the most significant source of lead in drinking water across the United States, several commonly used plumbing materials historically contained lead. The most common source of lead in our region is lead solder in home plumbing, which was used prior to 1986 to connect copper pipes. Also, plumbing fixtures manufactured prior to 2011 may have used brass containing lead. These materials can still be a source of lead in drinking water but will release less lead into drinking water than lead service lines.

  • TVWD owns the portion of the service line from the water main to the meter. You own the portion of the service line from the meter to your home or business.

Inventory Participant FAQs

  • TVWD worked with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to develop a statistically-sound method to confirm there are no lead service lines in our water system. Using this approved approach, properties constructed before 1986 (prior to Oregon’s lead service line ban) were randomly selected for inspection. Your home or business was selected from that group.

    Crews have inspected more than 380 service lines during TVWD’s Service Line Inventory project.

    Residents with a selected service line ​​will agreed to allow TVWD staff and contractors to work near the water meter on their property.

  • The inventory work required a visual inspection of the service line near the water meter outside of your home. The inspection was done by exposing a portion of the service line near the meter to identify the pipe material using a process where pressurized water will be used to cut through topsoil. The soil is then vacuumed away to expose the service line.

    After the line was inspected, the area was restored as near as possible to its condition prior to the inspection. In most cases, the area disturbed was immediately adjacent to your water meter, just enough to get a view of the service line, which is less than 2 inches in diameter.

    The inspections generally take less than an hour. You do not need to be home for the inspection to occur. If you are home, crews will attempt to notify you of the results at that time. You will receive the official results by mail or email within several business days.

    For most service lines inventoried, there will be one point of inspection on the public side and another on the private side of the water meter.

    After the inspection, the area will be restored as near as possible to the condition prior to the inspection, including any sidewalk or asphalt repairs. Soil or gravel will be added to replace what was removed for the inspection, and the surface will be restored. Some final restoration will take longer than others, like replacement of a sidewalk panel.

  • Because of regional construction practices and prior lead bans, the probability of your service line being lead is very low. TVWD doesn’t anticipate finding any lead service lines.

    However, if your service line is determined to be lead, TVWD will immediately contact you and begin coordination for replacement of your service line with a new, non-lead service line.

    Additionally, TVWD will supply a pitcher filter for your use prior to the service line replacement. Once the service line has been replaced, TVWD will provide you with instructions on how to flush any residual lead particles from your home’s plumbing system.

At TVWD, we proudly drink the water we serve. Each year, our Water Quality Team conducts thousands of tests to ensure that the water remains safe. Using our state-of-the-art telemetry system, TVWD's water system is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We consistently deliver water that meets or is better than all federal and state drinking water standards.