Black Mountain receives $500,000 loan to comply with federal water line mandate

EPA Lead and Copper Rule requires providers to inventory service system

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
September 24, 2024

Black Mountain received a $500,000 zero-interest loan through the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure, as the town prepares to comply with the EPA Revised Lead and Copper Rule. Photo by Fred McCormick

The Town of Black Mountain has qualified for a $500,000 zero-interest loan in an effort to comply with an Environmental Protection Agency regulation that requires all water providers to establish an inventory of service lines. 

While the town has reported no evidence of lead or copper contaminants through regular testing of its system, it is prepared to meet the Wednesday, Oct. 16 deadline for the Revised Lead and Copper Rule, which mandates community water systems identify all service lines and submit their findings and a detailed plan for replacing all lines containing lead to the state. 

Passed in December of 2021, the rule is intended to reduce the public’s exposure to lead, which poses significant health risks, specifically for children and pregnant women. Failure to comply with the unfunded federal mandate could result in consequences for municipalities, ranging from fines, legal action and potential public health risks.

“Protecting our community’s health and complying with federal law is our top priority,” said Black Mountain Assistant Manager Jessica Trotman. “We are committed to meeting the requirements of the Lead and Copper Rule and will work diligently to create a comprehensive inventory of service lines in our system.”

The town began cataloging service lines, which bring water from the main distribution lines to homes and businesses, early this year, according to Trotman, using land records, plumbing permits and a survey of residents conducted last summer. 

“From that information, we were able to determine which lines were ‘non-lead,’ meaning they were installed after lead was banned,” she said. 

Approximately 25% of local service lines have been identified so far, Trotman added, meeting the rule’s requirement for an initial inventory. The town pursued a $500,000 loan through the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure to fund the extensive fieldwork investigations and data development required to complete the process.

“The service line inventory update will be complete about a year from now, with us doing a lot of field work, beginning late winter through summer,” the assistant town manager said. “It then has to be maintained in perpetuity.”

The inventory is the foundation for future efforts to replace any identified lead service lines, as required by the federal regulation. The purpose is to reduce exposure to lead, which poses significant health risks, including developmental delays in children and other serious health conditions.

The EPA is expected to release the final regulations regarding service line replacement requirements in October. With the support of the state, town staff will determine how the final regulations apply to Black Mountain and present options to the town council later this year.