The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MT DEQ) are requiring your water provider to inventory all of the service lines connected to their water mains. A service line is the underground pipe that carries water from the water main, likely in the street, into your home or building. Your water provider needs to determine the material that the service line is made of. Service lines are often copper, plastic, or galvanized iron or steel, but older homes and buildings may have a lead service line. Pipes containing lead are a potential health risk in drinking water:

Health Effects of Lead:

Lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water or other sources. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys and can interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults. Lead is stored in the bones, and it can be released later in life. During pregnancy, the child receives lead from the mother’s bones, which may affect brain development.

Your water provider may contact you to answer some questions. Your answers can help them determine what your service line is made of. They may ask about the age of your home and its plumbing. They may request access to see your main water meter and/or shutoff valve in your home/residence or possibly dig small holes on your property to inspect the service line. Your water provider may replace lead service lines in the future.

We encourage you to take the time to respond to their questions and allow access to your property. Your water provider should be able to help guide you in answering their questions. Our goal is to help your water provider to develop a full inventory of their service lines going to homes and buildings. This will help determine if you or your family have a lead exposure risk from your service line or plumbing. This is especially important to young children, infants and fetuses who are most vulnerable to lead health effects.

Please remember that any PWS operator or personnel who is charged with the responsibility of service line inventory needs to be treated with respect and common courtesy. They are members of our community who provide a beneficial service, running water. This effort is not only to protect your health, but also your asset.

Thank you for your cooperation and together, let’s get the lead out.

For more information on Service Line Inventory call the Sun Prairie County Water District, (406) 964-0106, PWS #MT0000571 or visit the DEQ website at https://deq.mt.gov/water/programs/dw-leadandcopper.

Greg Gianforte, Governor I Chris Dorrington, Director I P.O. Box 200901 I Helena, MT 59620-0901 I (406) 444-2544 I www.deq.mt.gov

To view a copy of this letter from DEQ:  LSLInventoryHomeownerHandout.pdf (mt.gov)