You’re digitizing all your data in preparing to meet the deadline for submitting your public water system’s service line inventory (SLI) in your state’s required format on or before October 16, 2024. Then what?

The inventory is the roadmap, the first step in determining how to “get the lead out” of America’s water supply, but the subsequent actions are what make this important goal possible. When your SLI is completed, you’re ready to start the actual journey toward Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) compliance, which focuses heavily on customer communications and engagement.

Are you prepared to meet the LCRR communication requirements? Let’s look more closely at them and also see what tools 120Water offers to help with customer outreach. The great news about establishing a communications infrastructure for LCRR means you can use it for other purposes. For example, you’ll be able to meet other regulatory compliance standards like those likely to remain part of the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) expected to be confirmed in October 2024, plus you can enhance overall customer service like sending out information if a service interruption occurs.

Publicly Accessible Service Line Inventories by October 16, 2024

Water systems must make their SLIs publicly accessible by October 16, 2024. Those serving more than 50,000 are required to  make their inventories available online. Water systems with fewer customers must make their inventories publicly accessible in alternative ways, such as by mail or within their offices so they can be viewed in person. The EPA actually encourages all water systems to make their inventories available online.

120Water offers a Public Transparency Dashboard to make inventories public-facing. The simple tool powers the creation of a website to display inventory data and information about potential lead risks. Stay in compliance by making your SLI available in real time with the click of a button.

Material Notices by November 15, 2024

The next critical deadline water utilities must meet is notifying people or businesses at the service connection with a lead, galvanized requiring replacement (GRR) or pipe of unknown materials—with unknowns treated as if they are lead—by November 15, 2024. Although the information in each of these notices may be similar, three different templates are required: 1) notice of lead service line material, 2) notice of possible lead service line material, and 3) notice of galvanized required replacement service line material. The notices must be provided by mail or another method approved by the state.

The PWS Pro software from 120Water includes a communications module for managing all outreach to customers, including all three templates for the initial material notices. The application not only serves as a single repository for all your customer and location data but also provides a system of record for generating an audit trail and history of compliance.

Annual Notifications Until Verification or Replacement

Water systems must continue to provide notifications on an annual basis until the entire service connection is no longer lead, GRR or unknown. They also must furnish copies of these notices to their states every year, starting July 1, 2025.

Again, 120Water’s PWS Pro enables the easy preparation and distribution of all three types of notices on an annual basis. And with cloud storage, it serves as a document management system allowing for access and packaging of all sent notices for proof of compliance.

24-Hour Notice for Lead Action Level Exceedance  

Starting October 16, 2024, water utilities must notify all customers within 24 hours following a lead action level exceedance of 15 ppb. This notification is known as a Tier 1 public notification, the EPA’s most urgent notification category for drinking water regulations, and it must reach all people served by the system, not just those with lead service lines. This notice can be delivered in several ways, including through local newspapers, television and radio, posting in prominent locations throughout the service area, hand delivery and another method approved in writing by the state.

Water systems with the 120Water PWS Pro application can set up 24-hour notification workflows in advance. With automated procedures, these notices can be triggered with the required information via the relevant channels to best reach the members of their communities.

Digital Transformation for Compliance and Communications

Both LCRR and the pending LCRI require more data to be supplied to primacy agencies, in addition to emphasizing public transparency and communication. 120Water provides software built specifically for compliance and public engagement. With digital transformation capabilities to standardize information and communication workflows, water systems can future-proof how they work to meet specific mandates and also improve community relations and public trust.

We can help you create, manage and track your customer communications to meet LCRR/I’s requirements. Complete this form to learn more.

120Water

120Water

×

120Water