The City of Forest Grove, Oregon

The City of Forest Grove, with a population of 26,089 and 7,052 service lines, faced the challenge of completing a compliant service line inventory for the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR). While they had records of the system-owned side of the service lines, data on the customer-owned side was lacking. Their primary goal was to achieve a compliant service line inventory with minimal unknowns, ready for submission to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).

Forest Grove partnered with 120Water to address these challenges and successfully completed the first all non-lead inventory in the 120Water platform ahead of the compliance deadline. This partnership allowed them to avoid sending annual notifications to residents with unknown service lines. By leveraging 120Water’s expertise, Forest Grove achieved a compliant service line inventory, eliminated unknowns, and ensured continued safe drinking water for their community.

Key Highlights:

• Statistical Analysis: 120Water provided clear guidance on OHA’s statistical analysis approach and a randomized list of locations for verification, accelerating the inventory process.
• Data Management: All inventory data was loaded into 120Water PWS Pro and submitted directly to the OHA.
• Field Verification: The Forest Grove team verified 351 service lines in just a few months through visual inspections and verifications, using a targeted list of locations provided by 120Water.

Read the full case study here to learn more about Forest Grove’s successful collaboration with 120Water and their achievements in managing lead service line inventories.

The City of Smyrna, GA

The City of Smyrna, GA, serving 55,000 residents with 16,000 service connections, proactively tackled the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) to avoid compliance issues. Partnering with 120Water, they aimed to verify their service line inventory and address 5,000 unknown service lines using non-invasive water sampling methods.

Key Highlights:

Communications: Sent 450 informational postcards to residents.
Sampling: Mailed 400 5-liter testing kits with detailed instructions.
School & Childcare Sampling: Worked with local schools and daycares for future sampling.
Cost Savings: Achieved significant savings by verifying lines instead of replacing them

120Water’s support enabled Smyrna to make substantial progress, ensuring compliance ahead of the federal deadline and saving millions in potential costs. For the full case study, click here. 

The City of Thornton, CO

“If you want to get Lead and Copper off your plate, 120Water will handle it. They are reliable, friendly, have great customer service and are vested in your success.” — Hsueh Shih Water Quality Senior Analyst City of Thornton, CO

The City of Thornton, CO, faced increased sampling requirements for its 150,000+ residents due to changes in treatment coagulants. Initially partnering with 120Water, Thornton experienced high-quality service in sample kit distribution, resident communication, and lab support. However, after a bidding process, the city switched to a more cost-effective vendor, only to face decreased performance and consistency. After a year of frustration with the new vendor, Thornton returned to 120Water, recognizing their superior service and alignment with the city’s goals. 

Key Benefits Since Re-Partnering with 120Water:

Improved sample return rates
Dedicated customer service
User-friendly dashboard for real-time tracking
Consistent updates and resident communication

For the full case study, click here.

Chicago Public Schools

The Chicago Department of Family Support Services (DFSS) faced new regulations in 2018 mandating water testing in child care facilities. Lacking prior experience, DFSS partnered with 120Water and Globetrotters Engineering to meet these challenges. The primary goals were establishing new processes and educating daycare staff on proper testing and remediation.

Key Highlights:

Program Design: Tested 232 facilities for baseline water safety
Sampling Plan: Collected 6,715 samples and tested 3,775 fixtures
Efficient Remediation: Shipped 188 pitchers/filters for interim remediation

120Water’s software and training programs enabled successful compliance, ensuring the safety of children in Chicago’s daycares. For the full case study, click here. 

Buffalo Water

Utilizing 120Water’s Public Transparency Dashboard (PTD), Buffalo Water has launched its first public-facing service line inventory map as part of the Get Water Wise Buffalo program, significantly ahead of the EPA’s deadline. This map helps residents identify potential lead service lines (LSLs) in their area and will be regularly updated. Increasing transparency and building trust with the community is an important priority for Buffalo Water.

Residents are encouraged to visit Get Water Wise Buffalo and participate in the service line survey to contribute to water safety improvements.  With 120Water’s PTD, Buffalo Water was able to stand up this website in a matter of minutes, based on the service line data they had already collected in the platform. No coding or computer skills required! Read more about Buffalo Water’s initiative here. 

New Jersey American Water

New Jersey American Water, the largest water provider in the state, serves over 2.9 million people across 190+ communities. In 2021, New Jersey passed a law mandating the replacement of all lead and galvanized service lines by 2031. This legislation also required water utilities to notify affected customers and post service line inventories online. The challenge for New Jersey American Water was not only the ambitious replacement timeline but also the state’s strict customer notification regulations, which exceed federal requirements.

Solution
Partnering with 120Water, New Jersey American Water utilized a complete digital platform to manage service line inventories, customer notifications, and reporting. This solution helped streamline communications, automate compliance tasks, and ensure accurate, real-time tracking of service line replacements.

Results:
Efficient management of service line inventory
Automated customer notifications in compliance with state laws
Transparent communication with residents, increasing trust and engagement

Learn more about the NJ American Water story here.

Silver Creek Water

Silver Creek Water serves 7,559 locations across two counties in Southern Indiana. When new LCRR regulations mandated a complete service line inventory by October 2024, Silver Creek approached the challenge with a proactive, community-focused mindset. They partnered with 120Water to leverage technology and resident engagement to build a complete and accurate inventory.

The results? By taking a proactive approach and leveraging 120Water’s flexible support, Silver Creek has made major strides toward a complete lead service line inventory:

Proactive Approach: Preliminary inventory established months ahead of the deadline
Eliminate the Unknown: Only 7 unknown system-owned service lines remain across 7,000+ connections
Maintaining Momentum: On track to fully eliminate all unknowns with final resident survey follow-up
Building Trust: Increased transparency through public-facing inventory resources

Learn more about Silver Creek’s success story here.

Denver Water

Denver Water serves 1.5 million people and estimates that 64,000-84,000 customer-owned lead service lines are connected to their system. In January 2020, they launched a holistic Lead Reduction Program to reduce lead levels by adjusting pH/alkalinity, replacing lead service lines by 2035, and providing filters to customers.

120Water facilitates Denver Water’s sampling program and manages the supply and distribution of water pitchers and filters. Since 2020, approximately 120,000 pitcher filters and 206,000 replacement filters have been shipped to customers, with an estimated 600,000 replacement filters expected over three years. Customers receive communication materials, testing kits, and detailed sampling instructions. All test results are analyzed and uploaded to 120Water’s platform for automated reporting.

Key Highlights:

Strategic Planning: Launched a comprehensive lead reduction strategy
Distribution at Scale: Distributed 120,000 pitcher filters and 206,000 replacement filters
Turnkey Program Management: Managed the distribution of water testing kits and data collection

This proactive approach ensures customer safety and provides a framework for the 15-year plan to replace all lead service lines in Denver Water’s area.

For the full case study, click here.

City of Providence, RI

Providence Water, serving over 77,000 homes, has been dedicated to providing safe, clean drinking water since 2012. Their comprehensive lead reduction strategy includes corrosion control, flushing, main rehabilitation, and public education. In 2017, they launched the “Lead Free is the Way to Be” campaign, offering 0% interest loans for lead service line replacement.

Key Highlights:

Efficient Process: Automated fulfillment of over 3,000 sample kits in 18 months
Powerful Technology: Streamlined tracking and data management with 120Water’s software
Resident Support: Educated homeowners through clear instructions and flyers

120Water’s digital solution ensured efficient program management, compliance, and enhanced public safety. For the full case study, click here.

The State of Indiana

In response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) collaborated to secure funding and develop a comprehensive service line inventory database. This effort aimed to collect, store, and report data from community and non-transient non-community water systems across the state. After issuing an RFP in October 2022, 120Water was selected to provide its digital water platform, aiding Indiana in its compliance efforts.

Solution and Results:
Compliance: 120Water’s platform was deployed to manage service line inventories, track submissions, and ensure compliance with federal reporting requirements.
Rapid Deployment: By May 2024, Indiana had successfully implemented the system, with 99.9% of water systems logging into the PWS Portal, 32% uploading inventory data, and 107 inventories submitted.
Building Public Trust: The State Public Transparency Dashboard allows residents to access service line data, enhancing transparency and trust.

For more detailed information, read the full case study here.