Dr. Ashley Pifer is Garver’s Water Quality Practice Leader, and she has a B.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Arkansas. Her career has focused on helping water systems manage distribution system water quality, from corrosion control to disinfection residual and disinfection byproduct management. She assists water systems with regulatory compliance through monitoring plan development, water quality studies, and chemical feed system design.

The Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) and future Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) will impact public water systems throughout the United States. The rules aim to reduce human exposure to lead from drinking water and include requirements related to detecting and responding to elevated lead levels, removing lead from distribution systems, and raising public awareness of the health effects of lead.

The LCRR became effective on December 16, 2021 and has a compliance date of October 16, 2024. Key provisions of the LCRR include a new lead trigger level at 0.010 mg/L and requirements to inventory service lines, develop lead service line (LSL) replacement plans, update sampling programs to better detect high lead levels, and conduct sampling at schools and licensed childcare facilities. These requirements are expected to result in more water systems initiating LSL replacements, installing or re-optimizing corrosion control treatment, and increasing outreach. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recently announced that it would begin developing the LCRI, which may modify or increase the stringency of LCRR requirements. The LCRI is expected to be complete before the LCRR compliance date. Therefore, water systems are faced with uncertainty regarding the best ways to prepare for compliance.

This presentation will provide a brief overview of major LCRR requirements and LCRI considerations before focusing on specific actions that water systems can take now to prepare for compliance. These include (1) identifying and inventorying service line materials, (2) planning for LSL replacement, (3) evaluating water quality improvements to avoid potential compliance challenges, (4) developing public outreach materials and relationships for reaching different groups, and (5) budgeting and seeking funding for compliance activities. These practical steps can be customized and implemented by a wide range of public water systems, from large to small and urban to rural. The presentation will include decision-making tools to help individual water systems identify the most appropriate tools and implementation schedules for each step, with examples from other water systems.