What is a service line and who owns it?
Service lines are smaller pipes that carry water to your home or business from the City of Melbourne’s water main, which is typically located in or near the street. The portion of the service line from the water main to the meter that is located within the public right of way is owned and maintained by the City. The service line from the meter to the house or building is owned and maintained by the property owner.
Below is an example of a single-family service line connection. For some properties, the exact location of the meter and where responsibility shifts from the City of Melbourne to the property owner may be different.
What is a service line inventory?
The EPA recently directed all water utilities in the United States to prepare an inventory of all water service line materials, for both the customer-owned portion and the city-owned portions of the service line pipe. The EPA’s regulations are intended to improve public protection from the risk of lead exposure by identifying lead service lines and expediting their removal from drinking water systems nationwide.
The City of Melbourne is proactively developing a comprehensive inventory of our entire water distribution network, which encompasses more than 60,000 residential and commercial service lines.
We are employing a range of methods to investigate and verify service line materials, including a review of historical records and field investigations from test pits and other regulatory-approved methodologies.
I received a letter saying I have an unknown service line, what does that mean?
Under the new regulations, public water systems are required to notify customers served by a service line that has been classified as lead, galvanized-requiring replacement or unknown on an annual basis.
If you have received such a letter, it has been determined that we do not have sufficient information about the service line material that delivers water to your property at this time. The designation Unknown means that the city-owned service line may be unknown, the customer-owned service line may be unknown, or both sides may be unknown. Regulations require that the inventory includes material for both sides of the service line.
This does not mean that we believe your service line is made of lead, but rather records do not exist, or have not been located yet, that confirm its material. We will continue efforts to identify and verify every service line throughout our entire water distribution system and update the inventory as data is collected. View the City of Melbourne's service line inventory map.
I received a letter saying I have a galvanized-requiring replacement service line, what does that mean?
Galvanized service lines are steel pipes that have been dipped in a protective zinc coating to prevent corrosion and rust. Galvanized piping was commonly installed in older homes and was used as an alternative to lead pipes for water supply lines.
Galvanized lines that are or were downstream of a lead source such as a lead service line can contribute to lead in drinking water by capturing lead particles released from upstream sources. The lead can be released into the drinking water if water quality changes or these pipes are disturbed.
Under the new regulations, galvanized service lines that are or may have previously been downstream of a lead service line are classified as "galvanized-requiring replacement." Public water systems are required to notify customers served by a service line that has been classified as lead, galvanized-requiring replacement or unknown. The notice is meant to explain the health risks of lead exposure, share simple precautions that can be taken to minimize any health risks, and where to find more information about lead safety.
I received the same type of letter last year. Why am I receiving a similar letter again this year?
Under the new regulations, public water systems are required to notify customers served by a service line that has been classified as lead, galvanized-requiring replacement, or unknown on an annual basis. You should expect to receive similar notifications annually until the material for both the city-owned segment and the customer-owned segment of the entire service line has been identified or until the lead or galvanized-requiring replacement service line has been replaced. A complete inventory for Melbourne’s entire water system will take several years to complete.
I did not receive a letter, but someone I know (e.g., my neighbor) received one. Why is this?
It may be that the material used to construct your service line has already been determined as non-lead through the City’s records review or field verification process. You neighbor’s service line may still be classified as unknown or has been determined to be a lead or galvanized-requiring replacement service line.
Under the new regulations, public water systems are required to notify customers served by a service line that has been classified as lead, galvanized-requiring replacement or unknown. Letters to properties determined to have non-lead service lines are not required. You may look up your service line and your neighbors' service lines on the City of Melbourne's service line inventory map.
How will field investigations be done?
In some older areas, we have not been able to identify records that confirm the material used on both the customer-owned and city-owned portion of the service lines. This does not mean that we believe the pipes in these neighborhoods are made of lead, but rather that records do not exist, or have not been located yet, that confirm their material. In these areas we will be performing field investigations to determine the material of the service line pipes leading from the water main to the water meter and from the water meter to the home.
The City and/or its contractors will dig a small test pit approximately 1-2 feet on both sides of the potable water meter that is large enough to visually inspect the service pipe. This is typically 12-18 inches in both diameter and depth. The crews will use minimally invasive methods and restore the area to the same or better condition. The information gained from the field investigations will be used to further develop the service line inventory.
Why doesn’t the City know what my service line material is?
The revised rule requires the City to classify the entire service line as "unknown" if the material of at least one of the service line segments, the City-owned or the customer-owned, is unknown. Until now, we have not been required to have records on the customer’s side of the meter. We are actively working to obtain information about all service lines in our networks using a range of methods to investigate and verify service line materials, including a review of historical records and field investigations from test pits and other regulatory-approved inventory methodologies.
When will you know what my service line is made of?
The City is actively employing a range of methods to investigate and verify service line materials, including a review of historical records, field investigations from test pits, and other regulatory-approved inventory methodologies. We will continue to update our inventory as information is collected and verified. This process will take several years to complete for the City’s entire water distribution service area. Please be assured that we are continuing to develop a full and complete inventory in accordance with the regulations.
Can I check my service line material?
Yes, you can contact a licensed plumber to help you determine the material of your service line and find other potential sources of lead inside your home. Knowing the material of your service line will give you peace of mind and let you know if you need to take action to protect your family from lead.
Additionally, The EPA has developed an online step-by-step guide to help people identify lead pipes in their homes called Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead.
If you do take steps to identify your service line material or recently replaced your service line and can provide documentation such as photos, copies of permits, or plumbing invoices, please contact the City of Melbourne at leadandcopper@mlbfl.org with that information. Your assistance will help us develop a full lead service line inventory -an important step in our continued commitment to protecting our community
If it is determined I have a lead service line, will the City of Melbourne replace it?
Melbourne will develop a Lead Service Line Replacement plan based on our service line inventory in accordance with EPA regulations. The Lead Service Line Replacement Plan will outline the City’s comprehensive replacement program for service lines classified as lead and galvanized-requiring replacement. The plan will detail the financial responsibilities between the City and the property owner, prioritization and schedules for the replacement work, right of entry process and any necessary federal funding requirements. Per regulations, the plan is due November 2027.
As the owner of the service line between the meter and the house, property owners may choose to replace their portion of the service line at any time. Please contact a licensed plumber for this work and notify us in advance if you plan to replace your service line. We can be reached by email at leadandcopper@mlbfl.org. This information will be used to update our inventory.