San Antonio Launches Free Service Line Inspections for Homeowners
San Antonio is gearing up to enhance the safety of its drinking water, and they’ve got some exciting news for homeowners! The San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is kicking off a program to provide free service line inspections aimed at identifying any lead or galvanized water service lines in residential properties. This initiative comes as part of a new requirement from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and it starts next week, on October 16.
What’s It All About?
So, what does this all mean for you if you’re a homeowner in San Antonio? Well, if SAWS has determined that your property could have an unknown, lead, or galvanized service line, you can expect a friendly letter in the mail from them soon. The goal here is to ensure your home’s water supply is safe for everyday use.
SAWS has a long-standing commitment to addressing lead lines, having been actively removing them since the 1980s. However, they recognize that the work isn’t finished yet. Many service lines—over half, to be exact—are still identified by unknown materials. Their focus with this outreach is now shifting to understanding the customer side of the service lines better.
How It Works
If your home was built before 1989 and you’re interested in participating, you can easily register for a free inspection. SAWS will then reach out to you to schedule a time and review the necessary paperwork. The inspections might involve a few different techniques, including potholing (which sounds more dramatic than it is!), looking at the meter box, or checking exposed pipes in crawl spaces. Don’t worry—these methods are all about accurately identifying the materials used in your service line.
But here’s something cool: if you’re handy around the house or want a little extra support, you can also perform the inspection yourself, or hire a licensed plumber to do it for you. After that, you just need to submit the required information and documentation to SAWS. Easy peasy!
A Community Effort
According to Kirstin Eller, Potable Water Quality Supervisor at SAWS, “There are more than 600,000 customer service lines in San Antonio, and over half are made of unidentified materials.” She emphasizes that this project requires extensive efforts, saying it’s a monumental task that’s best tackled with the community’s help. “Our customers play a crucial role in this process,” she adds.
Accessing the Service Line Inventory
Another exciting aspect of this initiative is that starting on October 16, residents will have access to an online inventory of the service lines in the area. This transparency will empower you with the information you need about your water service setup.
Why This Matters
You may wonder why all this is necessary. The simple answer is that ensuring the safety of drinking water is vital for health and well-being. Lead and galvanized pipes can pose significant risks, especially to children and pregnant women. By pinpointing and tackling these issues, SAWS is taking an important step to keep the community safe.
So, if you own a home in San Antonio, keep an eye on your mailbox. This is a great opportunity to get informed about your water lines and take proactive steps to ensure your drinking water is safe. Remember, your participation matters, and together we can make San Antonio’s water even better!
