The Lead and Copper Rule

JOHNSTON COUNTY PUBLIC UTILITIES: THE LEAD AND COPPER RULE

To comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule Revision, Johnston County Public Utilities is creating an inventory of our customer water service line materials. If any of those service lines have lead, we will work closely with our customers to replace them.

Johnston County is committed to providing safe and reliable water, as protecting public health is our number one mission. One way we provide clean water is to ensure compliance with water quality regulations. The water that leaves our treatment plant is clean and safe to drink. Click here to read our most recent annual water quality report.

In 2021, the EPA revised the Lead and Copper Rule that governs water systems across the US. Under the revisions, all water systems must complete a water service line materials inventory. To comply, Johnston County Public Utilities is determining if our system has any lead or galvanized steel water service lines requiring replacement. Galvanized steel water service lines that are, or have ever been, downstream of a lead service line are categorized as galvanized requiring replacement (GRR).

Customers should not be worried about the safety of their drinking water. Most of our system was constructed after the 1987 state-wide ban on lead pipes. Since that time, Johnston County’s standard practice has been to use only plastic service lines for the public portion of the service line. While the customer side of the service lines (the portion that the customer owns between the meter and home) was not installed by Johnston County Public Utilities, we believe that most of these service lines are not lead. It is also important to note that most galvanized steel water service lines will not require replacement, as most have not been located downstream of lead service lines. However, the inventory is a proactive effort to learn if our customers have water service main materials of lead or galvanized steel requiring replacement (GRR).

How do I know if I have a lead or galvanized steel requiring replacement (GRR) water service line?

Johnston County has developed a water service line materials inventory to assist customers and ensure compliance with the LCRR. The web-based inventory is hosted through LeadCAST by Trinnex. The initial inventory and public map identifies the service line material inventory status of both the public and private portions of the water service line, based on existing records available to Johnston County Public Utilities. The inventory categorizes service lines as lead, non-lead, galvanized requiring replacement or unknown. For the service lines identified as "unknown," the County needs assistance from customers to identify the actual service line materials. Customers completing this identification process by August 25, 2024 are eligible for a one-time credit of $50 towards their water bill.

Most service lines identified as "unknown" are the private portion of the service line for homes constructed prior to 1989. During and after construction of the Water Districts, many homes disconnected from private wells and connected to the County’s public water system. The County can verify the water service line material connecting to the meter box is non-lead. However, if any portion of the “old” water service line was re-used (between well and house), the County does not have record of that water service line material.

Customers can verify their "unknown" service line material by August 25, 2024 and receive a $50 one-time credit on their water bill by either of the following:

Self-verification where the service line enters your home – typically in the crawlspace or basement, just prior to the shutoff valve.
Hire a plumber to verify the service line material where the service line comes into your home.

Please note that the inventory identifies water services for Johnston County Public Utilities retail water customers only. If you receive your water bill from a Town or another utility provider, please contact them directly for information related to their water services material inventory program.

What should customers know about lead in drinking water?

Since the early 1990s, public water systems like Johnston County continuously treat and test our drinking water to protect the public from lead and copper exposure in drinking water. Water does not have lead when it leaves the treatment plant and when it goes into or leaves the County mains, which carry water from the treatment plant to the community. Water can pick up lead as it flows through a customer’s service line or household plumbing, if either has lead. However, the County’s water treatment process includes corrosion control treatment (zinc orthophosphate) to prevent corrosion and the leaching of lead from any water services lines or plumbing containing lead. The County conducts routine lead and copper testing, in compliance with existing rules, to ensure our corrosion control treatment system is effective.

In 2021, the EPA revised the Lead and Copper Rule to provide an improved level of public health protection. The new rules become effective October 2024. The changes focus on identifying and removing lead service lines, providing increased levels of protection from lead exposure in drinking water to children at schools and daycare facilities, and providing information about lead in drinking water to the community.

What are the health effects of lead?

Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems.

Who provides my water?

Johnston County Public Utilities provides retail water service to approximately 49,000 customers in unincorporated parts of the county and the Towns of Archer Lodge and Wilson’s Mills. In addition, the County provides complete or supplemental bulk water supply to the Towns of Clayton, Four Oaks, Princeton, Kenly, Micro, Benson, Selma, Smithfield, Pine Level, and Fuquay-Varina. The County also provides bulk water supply to Carolina Water Service (Winston Pointe area) and several Aqua NC systems (including Flowers Plantation).

If you receive your water bill from another entity, such as a town, please contact their utilities department for information about your service line and their lead service line program.

What is a water service line?

Water service lines are small pipes that carry water from Johnston County’s water mains (large pipes located in the streets) into homes and other buildings. Water does not have lead when it leaves the treatment plant and goes into or leaves the mains, which carry water from the treatment plant to the community. However, water can pick up lead as it flows through a customer’s service line or household plumbing, if either has lead.

Water Service Line Image

Who owns the water service line to my property?

Johnston County owns the service line from the water main in the street up to and including the water meter in the meter box located at the property line. The property owner owns the service line beyond the meter to inside the home.

What type of materials are service lines made of?

Service lines can be made of lead, galvanized steel, plastic, brass, copper, cast iron, or ductile iron. Homes built before 1987 may have service lines containing lead. Homes built after 1987 should not have a lead service line, due to the state-wide ban on lead plumbing and service line materials. For Johnston County’s system, during and after construction of the Water Districts, many homes disconnected from private wells and connected to the County’s public water system. The County can verify the water service line material connecting to the meter box is non-lead, since those connections were installed after 1987. However, if any portion of the “old” water service line was re-used for homes built prior to 1987 (between well and house), the County does not have record of that water service line material. Therefore, the material of those service lines must be verified.

What do I do if I have a lead service line?

Johnston County Public Utilities does not expect to find many, if any, lead or galvanized steel requiring replacement (GRR) water service lines in our system. If we do find service lines that require replacement, we will work with each impacted customer to identify a solution that reduces the risk of exposure to lead in their drinking water. Please see the “What can I do to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water?” section below.

What other sources of lead are there in my home?

Other sources of lead include plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, fittings, etc.), indoor copper plumbing pipes with lead solder, and lead paint. Lead paint in homes is typically the greatest contributor to lead exposure for young children.

Lead solder was commonly used to join copper pipes until around 1986, when it was banned. As lead solder is in direct contact with copper pipe, lead could be released into the drinking water. Lead paint was banned for residential use in 1978. Homes built before this time may have lead-based paint and dust contaminated with lead-based paint. Lead in drinking water is not the only possible source of lead in your home.

If you are concerned about lead levels in your home, consult your healthcare provider.

What can I do to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water?

Johnston County Public Utilities does not expect to find many, if any, lead or galvanized steel requiring replacement water service lines in our system. The following are EPA’s recommendations to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water if you have a lead service line, galvanized steel requiring replacement service line or any other potential lead source in your plumbing:

Run cold tap water for 3 to 5 minutes before you use it for drinking or cooking if the water has gone unused for more than six hours. In doing so, you are flushing stagnant water from your service line and getting fresh water from the water main.
Use cold water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula. Do not drink, cook, or prepare baby formula using water from the hot water tap; lead dissolves more easily in hot water.
Remove and clean faucet screens and aerators.
Consider buying bottled water or using a filter such as a pitcher filter or one that attaches to your faucet. The filter must be National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) 53-certified to remove lead.
Consult a licensed plumber to identify possible sources of lead in your plumbing. Faucets, fittings, and valves may add lead to drinking water.
Buy plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, sinks, hose bibs, etc.) that have zero- or low-lead content meeting the current “lead-free” requirements. Read the labels of new plumbing fixtures closely.
Test your child’s blood for lead. Your local doctor or pediatrician can perform a blood test for lead and provide you with information about the health effects of lead. To learn more, contact North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services at 919-707-5951.

Can I shower in lead-contaminated water?

Yes. Human skin does not absorb lead in water. Bathing and showering should be safe for you and your children, even if the water contains lead over EPA’s action level.

What is the revised Lead and Copper Rule?

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first published the Lead and Copper Rule in 1991. It has been revised multiple times to better protect children and communities at risk for lead exposure. After several years of review, the EPA released Lead and Copper Rule Revisions on October 16, 2021. Johnston County Public Utilities must comply with the rule by October 16, 2024.

Key Lead and Copper Rule Revisions requirements include:

Develop and publish a materials inventory of all service lines – public and private
Create a lead service line replacement plan based on the results of the inventory
Update/expand the compliance sampling pool based on new criteria
Prepare a sampling plan for schools and licensed daycares

For More information on the Lead and Copper Rule, visit:

How can I Learn More?

Please contact Johnston County Public Utilities at waterinventory@johnstonnc.com or 919-989-5799, if you have any questions or need additional information.