Under the revised LCR, all water systems must develop and submit an inventory of all service lines and connections, which extend from the water main to a house. Cary generally owns and maintains the portion from the main to the water meter. The property owner typically owns and maintains the segment from the meter to the house, as well as inside the house.

Cary implemented standards for copper service lines for the publicly-owned portion of our system starting in 1980, and lead was effectively banned from use in home plumbing systems in 1986 under the Safe Drinking Water Act. As a result, homes constructed after 1987 likely do not have lead in their plumbing. If a home was constructed prior to 1987, it does not mean that it has lead; however, it does mean there is less certainty about the service line or connection’s material. This is where Cary needs help from our citizens.

Early in 2024, Cary rolled out an initiative to find if lead is in a service line or home, using methods designed to cause the least amount of disruption. One way is for our customers to use their phones or simple tools to self-identify a service line's material where it enters the home. By snapping a picture of the plumbing, lightly scratching it, and/or testing it with a magnet, citizens will help Cary achieve compliance with the rule revision and more importantly, eliminate any possible lead from our water system.

Cary is also actively processing the list of service lines for which the material type is unknown. This is being done through a combination of desktop analysis, predictive modeling, and field verifications. By combining existing operational records, citizen-supplied information, and targeted field-collected data, Cary will continue to increase the degree of certainty of all service line materials.

To comply with the current Lead and Copper Rule, Cary samples 60 sites every three years that have an increased potential for lead exposure. Cary also offers complimentary testing for customers.  In 2023, Cary tested 23 water samples from citizen's homes and no lead was detected.

While the revised LCR sets forth new time limits for notifying property owners if their homes have lead, Cary will go beyond the EPA’s requirements to notify the owners and work with them to address the source of any lead contamination. In addition, the LCR requires the publication of the service line inventory online and notification to all of our customers if we have a systemwide lead exceedance.

While Cary has been working to verify compliance with all areas of the revised LCR, the EPA is working on their next amendments to the Lead and Copper Rule. It is likely the improvements will prioritize proactive and equitable lead service line replacement, expand sampling to better identify communities most at risk, and simplify the complexities of the sampling regulations.

For now, Cary will remain focused on developing the inventory of all water service line materials in our community, creating a plan to sample for lead at our schools and childcare centers, and continuing to educate our citizens about lead in drinking water.