To comply with state and federal regulations, the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility (EWSU) issues an annual report describing the quality of your drinking water. The purpose of the report is to raise your understanding of drinking water and the need to protect your drinking water sources.
View the latest Water Quality Report.
Keeping your water safe for cooking, bathing and other household uses is the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility’s (EWSU’s) top priority. To ensure your water is safe, we:
Lead is a naturally occurring element that has some beneficial uses, but it can be toxic to humans and animals. According to IDEM, childhood exposure to unsafe lead levels can cause learning disabilities, decreased growth, hyperactivity, dizziness, clumsiness, impaired hearing, brain damage, paralysis, and convulsions. In pregnant women, lead exposure can pass through the body to the unborn child, resulting in miscarriage or birth defects.
Even though the Utility’s water is treated for contaminants, lead still can enter your drinking water through your building’s own 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 lead water main pipes, EWSU still tests drinking water for lead and copper. The Utility:
Replacing lead service lines is important to protect all Americans from the most common source of lead in drinking water systems. Lead most commonly enters drinking water, when lead pipes, faucets, and plumbing fixtures corrode. Lead pipes and plumbing are more likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986. The Evansville Water and Sewer Utility advises homes older than 1950 are more likely to have lead pipes that connect a water main to a residence or commercial building.
Contact the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility to find out if you have a lead service line connected to your home. You may also use EPA’s tool to help identify service line materials in your home. The tool is available at www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/protect-your-tap-quick-check-lead. You can test your tap water - if there is lead in it, you can take steps to reduce or eliminate exposure.
Removal of lead pipes and plumbing fixtures can significantly reduce the risk of exposure to lead in drinking water. Use only cold water for activities such as drinking, cooking, and making baby formula. Don’t boil water to remove lead. Regularly clean your faucet’s screen. Consider using a water filter certified to remove lead and know when it’s time to replace it. Flush your pipes by running your water, taking a shower, or doing laundry. For more information, see EPA’s Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water at www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water#reducehome.
Several major retail stores, such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart, Menards, etc. sell water analysis kits. You can also have your water tested for lead and copper by contacting a laboratory certified to test for lead in drinking water. See the list of Indiana Certified Drinking Water Chemistry Laboratories.
In addition to testing our drinking water, EWSU regularly tests the lead and copper in water at high-risk homes in accordance with IDEM’s guidelines. Test results for these select homes are consistently below EPA’s requirements.
Lead Service Line Testing & Replacement important information for customers.
For more information about the Utility’s water quality, the annual Water Quality Report or testing your water for lead, please call EWSU’s Water Quality Manager at 812-428-0568.
