Gilbert, Arizona
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Gilbert collects and recycles large home appliances. View accepted items and schedules.
Learn MoreLead and Copper Rule (LCR)
Overview of the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions
The Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) is a federal regulation that limits the concentration of lead andcopper allowed in public drinking water at the consumer's tap and limits the permissible amount
of pipe corrosion occurring due to the water itself. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
first issued the LCR in 1991, pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
In December 2020, the EPA finalized the first major update to the LCR in nearly 30 years. The
EPA’s new rule strengthens every aspect of the initial LCR to better protect vulnerable
populations, including children and underserved communities.
On November 30, 2023, the EPA proposed the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) to
build on the LCR and protect water consumers and customers from the significant,
and irreversible, health effects of being exposed to lead in drinking water.
Gilbert’s Commitment to Safe Drinking Water
The Town of Gilbert is committed to providing safe drinking water as a vital resource to
its customers. Gilbert’s water quality staff performs regular testing to ensure that drinking water
meets health and safety standards compliant with state and federal regulations. In fact, our water team has been aggressively inventorying service lines even before the EPA mandate was formalized and plans to be one of the first municipalities in Arizona to achieve a “lead free” designation.
Gilbert has completed its initial investigation of service lines and found no known instances of galvanized lines needing replacement or lead water pipes. Out of the 86,557 service lines examined, 9,578 were classified as "unknown." The team is now working to identify the materials of these unknown service lines, including sending notifications to the remaining addresses.
What does an unknown service line mean?
Service lines marked as unknown are unlikely to be lead. There are a few reasons your line may be marked as an unknown:
- Historical data did not document the type of material used in your line.
- Your service line was inaccessible during our initial investigations.
If your service line was marked as unknown in the initial report, the Town will follow up with a mailed notification including next steps to determine your service line material. Many of these unknown service lines have already been identified since the initial inventory was submitted.
What are the next steps that Gilbert will take in compliance with the LCRR?
Publish Inventory Results (October 2024)
In compliance with the EPA regulations, the Town of Gilbert inventory with all information collected through records review and visual inspections have been submitted to the ADEQ to ultimately produce a publicly available inventory.
Unknown Service Line Notification (November 2024)
If your service line is marked as unknown, you will receive a mailed notification with the next steps. Click here to view a sample notification of an unknown service line.
LCRR Sampling (Ongoing)
Based on the new regulations made in November 2023, the Town will begin their annual monitoring and testing program for residential and business customers, with a focus on schools and childcare facilities. The sampling and monitoring will occur for at least five years.