In 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised the Lead and Copper Rule (LCRR) to reduce exposure to lead and copper in drinking water to protect public health. The most common source of lead in drinking water is the wearing away of materials containing lead in household plumbing (lead leaching from corrosion), including pipes made of lead, pipes joined with lead-based solder or galvanized iron pipes that have absorbed lead materials.
The City of Chandler has not identified a lead service line.
However, without information that confirms the service line material is not lead, all community water systems across the U.S. are required to notify their customers of the potential for their service line to contain lead. Per the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), requirements to confirm a portion of the service lines are non-lead involves walking onto private property and, at times, digging up the service line within 18” of the residence.
There are approximately 27,604 water service lines, which connect the water meter box to a building or home, in Chandler that will need to be verified.
- View the status of your service line with the Chandler's Service Line Inventory map.
If you have a water service line that needs to be verified, you will receive a notice from the City of Chandler. The verification will be conducted by the City of Chandler, MSI or Hydra, subcontracted companies hired by the city to help expedite the verification process.
Chandler has been monitoring lead and copper in homes in accordance with the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) since 1992 and has not exceeded the regulatory action levels for either lead or copper.
If you need more information about lead exposure in drinking water and steps to reduce lead, visit the EPA:
- Learn about the health effects of lead exposure
- Review basic information about lead in drinking water
- Learn steps that can be taken to reduce lead in drinking water
- Lead in drinking water infographic
The Arizona Department of Health Services provides a list of certified laboratories for water testing.
Please reach out to Water Quality at 480-782-3671 (leave a message for a return call) or email LCRR@chandleraz.gov.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) passed a federal regulation in 1991 known as the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), which requires drinking water utilities to provide corrosion control and monitor for lead in customers’ homes. If high lead levels are detected in the water, then a utility must work to improve corrosion control and reduce lead. The City of Chandler has maintained consistent compliance with the LCR since the rule was established.
The Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) were introduced by the EPA in 2021. They require for the first time that all utilities carry out a service line material inventory.
A water service line is a small pipe that connects your home or building with the city’s water main. Service lines are typically made from plastic or copper. Lead used to be allowed in the past but was banned in Arizona in 1988.
The city has already determined that most service lines in Chandler are not lead by reviewing historic records. For the others, the city has hired contractors to physically verify the service line material. This involves a contractor opening the meter box, walking on private property to check the piping going into the building, and may involve potholing. You will receive a notification if your service line will be inspected.
No. The City of Chandler does not have any known lead service lines. Chandler has been monitoring lead and copper in homes in accordance with the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) since 1992 and has not exceeded the regulatory action levels for either lead or copper.
Lead is not normally found in source water, but it can enter drinking water systems through the corrosion of pipes and plumbing fixtures. When tap water comes into contact for an extended amount of time with lead pipes, copper pipes with lead solder or other leaded materials, lead or copper from the piping may leach out into the drinking water
When water has been sitting for several hours, minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing the tap for 30 seconds to two minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.
For more information on lead in drinking water, testing methods and steps residents can take to minimize exposure, visit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
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