Town of Speedway Launches Water Service Line Material Inventory to Comply with EPA Revised Lead and Copper Rule
(Speedway, IND.) The Town of Speedway announced today that it is in the process of completing an inventory of pipe materials for water service lines connected to Speedway Water Works in compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPAJ) Revised Lead and Copper Rule. This effort is aimed at safeguarding the community from the potential risks associated with lead exposure through drinking water.
In 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency introduced updates to the Lead and Copper Rule, establishing new standards for water systems nationwide. In response, the Town of Speedway has partnered with the engineering firm American Structurepoint, Inc. to identify lead service lines throughout the community.
While the Town of Speedway's public water infrastructure is not made of lead, the water service lines that connect homes and buildings to the main water system may be constructed of copper, plastic, galvanized steel, or other materials. This inventory process is the first step toward full compliance with federal and state guidelines on lead service line identification and replacement. Speedway is committed to adhering to all requirements outlined by the EPA and the Indiana Department of Environmental Managements (IDEM).
“Our top priority is to protect residents from any possible risks posed by lead exposure in drinking water. We are working diligently to identify service line materials throughout Speedway,” said Town Manager Grant Kleinhenz.
The Lead Service Line Inventory will contain a comprehensive list of all water service connections managed by Speedway Waterworks. In 2023, the Town of Speedway received $15,000 in funding from the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) to begin this inventory. This initial phase, which ran from May to December 2023, included a thorough desktop analysis that reviewed construction plans, as-built drawings, plumbing permits, inspection records, water sampling data, and property records.
It was determined that Speedway has approximately 4,300 total service connections, with many service lines categorized as having unknown materials. Moving forward, the Town is focused on reducing the number of unknown lines and prioritizing areas with a higher likelihood of lead presence.
In May 2024, the Town of Speedway was awarded an additional $100,000 from the IFA to continue the investigation. This funding will be used for further analysis, customer outreach, and physical inspections of water service line materials.
Residents whose service lines were identified as having unknown material or whose sampling results indicated a presence of lead in their water will receive a letter providing additional information specific to their homes. “The health and safety of our community is our top priority, and we are committed to keeping our residents informed throughout this process while doing our best to identify any issues,” Kleinhenz added.
It is important to keep in mind that the Town of Speedway Waterworks owns just the water mains that provide water to residents from the Water Plant. Service lines are private lines owned by individual homes to connect to the water main to convey water to their home for personal use. The Town has not received any guidance from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management on future steps involved in this process, remediation efforts that will be required, and whether additional Federal funding will be made available to the Town and its residents to address any identified issues.
For more information about the ongoing service line investigation and efforts to reduce lead exposure, please visit the Town of Speedway’s website at Lead Service Line Inventory Project | Speedway, IN (speedwayin.gov). As more information and guidance become available, we will update the community on service line replacement efforts through our website and public notifications.