In our community, some pipes connecting older homes built before 1987 to the City’s water distribution system may contain lead.
Lead can be harmful. It can complicate pregnancies, impact normal physical and mental development in babies and children, and increase high blood pressure in adults, among other adverse health effects. This is why knowing whether your water service line or the plumbing and water fixtures inside your home contain lead is crucial.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lead pipes, faucets, plumbing fixtures, welding solders, and pipe fittings are the most common sources of lead in drinking water. Although Evansville Water and Sewer Utility (EWSU) has removed all known lead water mains from our water distribution system, lead may still be present in service lines and internal plumbing in older homes.
Each home has a service line that connects to the Utility’s water main. The portion of the service line within the City’s right-of-way belongs to the Utility; the remainder is the property owner’s responsibility. The new rule requires that all lead service lines be eliminated within the next ten years.
The Utility has developed a strategic plan to reduce the risk of lead exposure by removing lead service lines.
EWSU has created a Service Line Inventory and is conducting field verifications to refine and enhance the data to address unknowns within the inventory. On or after October 16, 2024, this inventory will become publicly available on the Indiana Department of Environmental Management website. EWSU will post the link to the inventory when it becomes available.
EWSU is creating a database of educational and child care facilities within our water distribution system. In Spring 2025, we will begin sampling tap water for lead at elementary schools and child care facilities constructed before 2014.
Elementary school and child care representatives are urged to complete the Water Sampling Request form to ensure your facility’s participation in our water sampling program.
Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or worsen existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have an increased risk of these negative health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, and kidney or nervous system problems.
Even though the Utility’s water is treated for contaminants, lead can still enter your drinking water through your building’s plumbing. The only way to be sure of the amount of lead in your water is to have it tested.
While EWSU’s system does not include any known lead water main pipes, EWSU still tests
drinking water for lead and copper. The Utility:
Read our latest Water Quality Report.
To help determine the material of your service line, follow the EPA’s step-by-step Protect Your Tap online guide. Hiring a licensed plumber can guarantee correct identification of your service line material.
You can also take steps to protect yourself and your family from lead in tap water, regardless of
whether you have a lead service line.
Download the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Consumer Tool for Identifying Point-of-Use Pitcher Filters Certified to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water for more information.
Watch the following animated explainer video from the American Water Works Association for more information on how to protect your household from the risk of lead in drinking water.
Lead is a naturally occurring metal that is harmful if inhaled or swallowed. Lead can be found in
air, soil, dust, food, and water.
The most common lead exposure source is paint in homes and buildings built before 1978.
Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are the main sources of exposure to lead in U.S.
children. Lead-based paints were banned for use in housing in 1978.
Lead is rarely found in our source water or the treated water flowing through the distribution system. The common way for lead to enter drinking water is by corrosion of a lead service line or water pipes within the home. EWSU makes chemical additions to prevent corrosion in the distribution system and homeowners’ pipes as part of water treatment.
EWSU regularly tests water at a selected number of high-risk homes. In 2024, EWSU found that 86% of samples contained non-detectable lead levels, and 14% had lead levels ranging from 1 to 14 micrograms per liter, well below the action level concentration.
System-wide there is a low-risk of lead in our water mains. However, old homes and building may have lead pipes, known as service lines, that connect them to our water mains or interior plumbing fixtures that contain lead. If you would like to have your water tested for lead, please complete the Water Quality Testing Request Form or call 812-436-7846 to speak to a customer service representative.
EWSU issues an annual Water Quality Report describing the quality of your drinking water. The report aims to raise your understanding of drinking water and the need to protect your drinking water sources.
EWSU is committed to performing water quality tests accurately and reporting results to our customers. To request to have your water tested for free complete and submit the Water Quality Sampling Request form or call our Customer Service office at 812-436-7846.
