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Safe and Reliable Water

The City of Longmont is committed to providing high quality, reliable drinking water. Rest assured, Longmont’s drinking water is safe for you to drink and use. Our treated drinking water consistently surpasses state and federal standards; additional information can be found in the City’s annual Drinking Water Quality Report.

 

Lead and Drinking Water

In recent years, there has been greater national awareness of the potential health risks of lead in drinking water. Managing lead in water is a public health responsibility that is shared among water utilities, consumers, manufacturers, regulators, plumbers and more.

 

The water leaving Longmont’s water treatment facility is effectively lead-free, and our water testing confirms lead does not come from our water supplies or the City’s water main lines. Longmont’s water is also treated to reduce corrosion potential, reducing the opportunity for lead to enter your water. Longmont water has been tested for lead for over 20 years and results have been below regulatory limits.

 

Water Service Line Inventory

Lead can enter drinking water when household plumbing containing lead corrodes or deteriorates allowing lead to seep into the water. A water “service line” is the piping that connects the City’s water main in the water distribution system to a building or a home. As water runs through lead service line pipes or fixtures containing lead, the lead can dissolve or break off into tiny particles – ending up in drinking water. The figure below shows how a household might commonly be connected to the City’s water main and potential sources of lead-containing fixtures or lead service lines. 

 

Diagram of a home with with a water service line coming from the home to the water main in the middle of the street. Three areas showing the investigation locations are the inside meter and water valve shut off, the pipe between the outside meter and curb box, and the water service line pipe under the sidewalk.

 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified water service lines made of lead as a potential source of lead contamination in public water systems. In 2021, the EPA announced updates to drinking water regulations requiring water systems to investigate the materials of water service lines in their system and develop a comprehensive inventory by October 2024. 

The City of Longmont water service line investigation completed in 2024 resulted in a Non-Lead classification for all water service lines in the City.

The investigation was performed using a combination of extensive historic records reviews and statistical methods as prescribed in the Colorado Primary Drinking Water Regulations (5 CCR 1002-11) and the Safe Drinking Water Program Implementation Policy DW018.

 

Water Service Line Investigation

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment outlined 4 steps to help municipalities inventory their water systems: 

 

Determine the Material of Your Water Service Line

Because there is no evidence of active lead water service lines, physical verification of every service line is not necessary at this time. However, the City will continue to update its water service line inventory during all routine maintenance and construction activities that expose a water service line.

 

Residents may wish to verify the material of their own water service line to verify it is non-lead. The video below demonstrates a quick and easy way to determine your service line material

 

 

 

Important Steps Customers Should Take if Lead Service Lines or Plumbing are Suspected
  • If you suspect you may have a lead water service line, please contact the City’s Customer Service Center by calling 303-651-8416.
  • Use a water filter that is labeled as NSF/ANSI certified. Filter water for drinking, making tea and coffee; when cooking food like rice, pasta, beans and soup; and for preparing baby formula. Follow manufacturer recommendations on filter replacements. Using the cartridge after it has expired can make it less effective at removing lead. Never run hot water through the water filter.
  • Run your water to flush out lines if they haven’t been used in several hours. Activities such as showering, doing laundry, cleaning or watering houseplants will help flush lines while conserving water before using for consumption.
  • Always use cold water for drinking, cooking and preparing baby formula. You cannot boil lead out of water.
  • Never cook with or drink water from the hot water tap.

 

Learn More

Longmont is committed to working with business and residential property owners, as well as childcare centers, to identify potential lead service lines, test water for lead and take appropriate actions based on those results. Here are some helpful resources: