6 February 2024
TOPEKA (KSNT) – The City of Topeka’s Utilities Department will conduct surveys to identify what materials local service lines are made of.
The surveys will be rolled out in Feb. 2024. The data will be compiled as a requirement for the Lead and Copper Rule Revision and Lead and Copper Rule Improvements formed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“While the city’s water mains do not contain lead, some connecting parts might,” a press release from the city said. “There are known lead service lines on both the city side and the private side. The City of Topeka’s water treatment system complies with the EPA’s drinking water regulations and the Safe Water Drinking Act.”
The city said it may need to replace lead service lines over the next several years but they need to identify the lines first. Homeowners who have service lines made of unknown materials will be notified by mail in February with instructions on how to determine the type of line and how to report it to the city.
Attorney General Kris Kobach is joining attorneys general from 14 other states criticizing the EPA regulation as “another example of unnecessary overreach by the Biden administration.” According to the joint letter, the regulations would force homeowners to pay up to $12,300 to replace their own lines if they contain lead and connect to a city line.
“Americans are already burdened by rising energy and utility costs and crushing inflation, and this proposal just adds insult to injury,” Kobach said. “The EPA should abandon it.”
To learn more about lead in drinking water click here, and for a short video on the topic, click here. To attend the next city council meeting Feb. 6 on Facebook, click here. To watch the next meeting on the official city livestream, click here.
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