Many Auburn residents will soon receive letters from the city as it seeks to identify any water service lines containing lead.
The US Environmental Protection Agency began issuing legislation in 2017 requiring communities to develop a Lead Service Line Inventory for water service lines. This is the first step in eventually replacing lead service lines nationwide.
For the last two-plus years, the city reviewed available data to develop an inventory that was sent to the New York State Department of Health by the October 16, 2024 deadline. The city will now spend the next three years eliminating data gaps in its service records and investigating all Galvanized Water Services requiring replacement.
The city is providing written notice to water customers on the inventory classified as “Galvanized Service Line Requiring Replacement (GSLRR)” and “Unknown Service Line.” 161 customers will receive GSLRR letters while 4,416 will receive Unknown Service Line letters. Those receiving letters will be asked to submit photos of their water service line as it enters the home and email them to the city.
Thanks to a nearly $1 million grant, the city will conduct field investigations into Unknown Service Line or GLSRR-listed properties. The Department is not anticipating many lead service lines in the system.
The inventory can be viewed here. The Department of Municipal Utilities is working on creating an interactive web map to provide an easier search option.
Have all the Finger Lakes news from Finger Lakes News Radio delivered to your email every morning for FREE! Sign up by clicking here.
