Lead and Copper Rule Revision: What Our Customers Need to Know
Under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), utilities must create an inventory of all the drinking water service lines in their system. Fulton County is doing an inventory of water service lines in our distribution system, which serves much of the North Fulton area. This inventory will identify the material of your water service line, including if it is made of lead. Fulton County does not expect to find much, if any, lead in our system. There have not been any historical records of lead in Fulton County’s system to date.
We are in the process of reducing the number of unknown service line materials in our system and expect to make significant progress in the next year. If you would like to help by identifying the material of your own service line, please visit our Checking and Reporting your Water Service Line Material webpage.
The North Fulton Water Distribution System encompasses most of Fulton County north of the Chattahoochee River, including all of Alpharetta, Johns Creek, and Milton, as well as a majority of Roswell. The City of Roswell serves a portion of the southwest portion of the city and is responsible for the inventory there. Information about their program can be found here. If you are unsure who your water provider is, you can use our Water Service Lookup tool to find out if you are in our service area. You can also check your water bill to find out who your provider is. View a sample bill for more information.
What is a Water Service Line?
Water service lines are small pipes that carry water from Fulton County’s water mains, located in the streets, to individual homes and buildings. Water service lines can be made of plastic, brass, copper, cast iron, ductile iron, lead, or galvanized steel. Federal law banned lead water service lines in the late 1980s, in addition to Georgia’s state-level ban on the use of lead pipes in plumbing in January 1990, so homes built after 1990 should not have lead service lines.
The County owns the water service line from the main in the street to the water meter, typically at the edge of the property line. The property owner owns the water service line from the water meter to where it enters the building and connects with the building’s internal plumbing. The property owner also owns all plumbing and fixtures within the building.