Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ)
The Service Line Inventory Program (SLIP), aims to proactively comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR). One of the main objectives of the revised rule is to submit an inventory of the service lines in the City of Naples water distribution system and provide customers with clear communications as well as comprehensive educational materials.
A service line is an underground pipe that connects your home to the public water main, delivering water to faucets, bathtubs, showers, and other water fixtures. The portion from the water main to the water meter is the City’s responsibility; the part from the water meter to the home is the customer’s responsibility.
It can typically be seen outside at the meter box or on the side of the house at the hose bib.
No. A primary purpose of the LCRR is simply to identify the material of all water service lines to enhance customer awareness. Identifying out-of-date materials, including lead, is the first step toward eliminating them from the water distribution system.
No. The program does not directly impact the cost of water.
All information can be found on the program website: www.naples-lcrr.com.
Lead is seldom found as a natural contaminant in drinking water and generally originates from lead-based plumbing materials. Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials containing lead corrode over time. These materials include pipes made of lead, lead-based solder used to join copper pipe, and brass and chrome-plated brass faucets. Lead service lines are typically the most significant source of lead in the water. In the City of Naples, these materials are more likely to be found in homes built before 1978, as Florida banned the use of lead in the construction of service lines in 1977.
Not necessarily. All lead service lines have the potential to leach lead into drinking water, but the water chemistry in the distribution system is carefully managed at our treatment facility to help prevent this from happening. Lead occurs in drinking water through leaching from lead-containing pipe, faucets, and solder sometimes found in the plumbing of older constructions.
The City of Naples will assist in flushing the line following replacement and can provide follow-up sampling to ensure there is no longer lead coming from the service line serving the home.
Refer to the “Important Steps You Can Take to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water” information on the EPA website for detailed guidance.
The portion of the water service line between your water meter and your home was not installed by the City, so there is limited information about the material used. The LCRR require an inventory of the entire service line, including the portion owned by the customer. By validating the material of your service line, you are helping to comply with the regulation as well as identifying any outdated service line materials.
No. Only properties with a service line listed as being made from an unknown material are being asked to complete the survey.
The online survey section on the SLIP website features a geospatial map that allows you to lookup your home address and check if your service line is listed as unknown.
Instructions for identifying your service line material can be found on the SLIP website.
Validated service line material information will be added to the inventory submitted to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Service lines constructed using outdated materials will be flagged for replacement.
No. Personal information will not be shared. Only public information regarding your service line material will be available on the inventory map and submitted to DEP. This information includes the verified service line material, date of construction, and physical address. Responses will only be used for the purpose of complying with the LCRR.
First, do not panic. If you determine you have a lead service line, notify the City. Although lead service lines have the potential to leach lead into drinking water, the water chemistry in the City of Naples distribution system is carefully managed to help prevent this from happening. This means that lead may not necessarily be in the drinking water even if the service line is made from lead.
Replacement is only necessary if one of the following conditions is met:
The service line was constructed with lead
The service line is galvanized and downstream of a service line with unknown material – also known as galvanized requiring replacement (GRR)
If the service line is galvanized and is either currently, or was previously, downstream of a lead service line, or GRR
Galvanized pipes are iron pipes that have been dipped in a protective zinc coating to prevent corrosion and rust and were used as an alternative to lead pipe for service lines. Galvanized pipes can capture lead released from upstream lead service lines, which can be released into the home, requiring their replacement and resulting in their categorization as galvanized requiring replacement, or GRR.
No. Only galvanized service lines that are currently or were potentially previously downstream of a lead service line will need to be replaced.
We are actively assessing the potential cost implications of complying with LCRR as well as the potential contractors and plumbers that may be needed for replacements. The results of this assessment will be included in a service line replacement plan that will be shared with our customers upon completion.
Replacement of a water service line will require a temporary interruption of water service to remove the existing service line and install and connect the new service line. This interruption will be kept to as short a duration as possible.
Water line replacements typically take between one to four hours to complete. Materials approved by the City will be used to replace the service line.
Water line replacements often do result in property disturbance. However, this it kept to a minimum. The contractor and/or plumber will be required to restore the property back to pre-construction condition at no extra cost to the customer.