The City of Norman has launched a new tool in the form of an online map to help residents quickly gather information on the materials composing their water service lines, with an aim to ensure safe drinking water for the community. This initiative comes as a response to the recent Lead and Copper Rule Revisions by the EPA, demanding greater vigilance and transparency in water safety.
The interactive map, which can be found on the city's website at City of Norman, is part of an effort to provide residents with the ability to easily verify whether their service lines might contain lead. In a statement obtained by the City of Norman, Vernon Campbell Water Treatment Plant Manager Rachel Camp said, "The City of Norman has monitored for lead at homes under this Rule since its inception and has never found lead above the action limit." However, recognizing that "no amount of lead is safe," the city is actively working to keep its residents informed and protected.
Thus far, Norman’s efforts to map out lead lines have led to the identification of 20 lead lines out of 1,300 that were dug up, or "potholed," since last year. These lines are now slated on a priority list to be replaced. Should residents experience a disruption to a lead line, they are provided with additional protection measures, such as water filter pitchers, ensuring water safety remains uncompromised during the interim, as per the City of Norman.
The initiative reflects Norman's joining of the nationwide movement to overhaul infrastructure in light of updated EPA standards. "We join municipalities across the country in tackling this issue and coming into line with new standards of the EPA," Camp told the City of Norman. Striving to be at the forefront of this critical public health issue, the city authorities pledge to continue their vigilant monitoring and updating of the lead service line inventory to ensure the safety and well-being of the community.
