City News Blog: City of Lakeland Water Department Pipe Inventory Program Clarification

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LAKELAND, FL (November 6, 2024) | The City of Lakeland is required to identify and inventory water line materials within the water utility service area under a new program initiated by the Environmental Protection Agency and Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

As part of the commitment to providing safe drinking water, letters were recently issued to those residents who have a service line that is constructed from unknown materials. This simply means that there is no record of what type of line is installed at the residence and does not necessarily indicate there is lead in the plumbing.  If a resident received a letter from the Water Department, the location is on the list to be inspected so water line materials going into the house can be identified.

The likelihood of finding lead service lines in the Lakeland community is very low. To date, NO lead service lines have been identified. The inventory process is a precautionary measure to ensure transparency and to help the City of Lakeland continue providing the highest quality water. Florida does not have a high occurrence of lead pipes and Lakeland has prohibited the use of lead in water pipe construction since 1977. All water utilities in the state are required to complete the mandated inventory and to share information on the adverse health impacts caused by lead. 

City of Lakeland Water Utility staff is available to answer any questions customers may have regarding the water service line inventory program. For more information about the City’s Pipe Inventory Program, including the current service line inventory and contact information, visit https://www.lakelandgov.net/departments/water-utilities/pipe-inventory-program. Protecting water quality is a top priority, with Lakeland consistently meeting or exceeding state and federal drinking water standards.

 

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