LCRR NOTICE 09102025 ANTIGO WATERWORKS_EPA Comments

Office of Water (4606) EPA 816-F-25-001 January 2025 IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER Antigo Waterworks Failed to Develop an Initial Service Line Inventory Our water system recently violated a drinking water requirement. As our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we did (are doing) to correct this situation. We were required to develop and make publicly available an initial inventory of service lines connected to our distribution system by October 16, 2024. The inventory must identify the service line materials as lead galvanized requiring replacement (GRR)1, lead-status unknown/unknown, or non-lead. Identifying and ultimately removing lead and GRR service lines is an important way to protect public health. We developed, submitted, and made Publicly Available an Initial Service Line Inventory on October 16, 2024, as required, but the Initial Service Line Inventory had left some information blank instead of placing “unknown”. We were informed on December 5, 2024, of this violation. The Service Line Inventory was later approved on June 4, 2025. The revised Initial Service Line Inventory can be viewed at https://www.antigo-city.org/lead-service-program/ *There is no safe level of lead in drinking water. 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. * What should I do? Listed below are some steps you can take to reduce your exposure to lead: • Learn what your service line material is. Contact the Public Works Office at 715-623-3633 x132 or cbrinkmeier@antigo-city.org. In-person inquiries are welcome at 700 Edison St., or a licensed plumber to determine if the pipe that connects your home to the water main (called a service line) is made from lead, galvanized, or other materials. We can schedule a time to inspect the service line in the home. We will also review the water meter and replace it if necessary. Protect Your Tap: A quick check for lead is the EPA's online step by step guide to learn how to find lead pipes in your home (www.epa.gov/pyt). • Learn about construction in your neighborhood. Unless your service line is not made of lead or galvanized you should be aware of any nearby construction or maintenance work that could disturb the line. Ground tremors from construction may suddenly cause more lead to be released from lead or galvanized service lines in the area. • Use your filter properly. Using a filter can reduce lead in drinking water. If you use a filter, make sure you use a filter certified to remove lead. Read the directions to learn how to properly install and use your cartridge and when to replace it. Using the cartridge after it has expired can make it less effective at removing lead. Do not run hot water through the filter. • Clean your aerator. Regularly remove and clean your faucet’s screen (also known as an aerator). Sediment, debris, and lead particles can collect in your aerator. If lead particles are caught in the aerator, lead can get into your water. 1 A galvanized requiring replacement service line is a galvanized service line that is or was potentially downstream of a lead service line. Office of Water (4606) EPA 816-F-25-001 January 2025 • Use cold water. Use only cold water for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula. Remember, boiling water does not remove lead from water. • Run your water. The more time water has been sitting in pipes, the more lead it may contain. Before drinking, flush your home’s pipes by running the tap, taking a shower, doing laundry, or doing a load of dishes. The amount of time to run the water will depend on whether your home has a lead service line or not, and the length of the lead service line. Residents should contact their water utility for recommendations about flushing times in their community. • Have your water tested. Contact your water utility to have your water tested and to learn more about the lead levels in your drinking water. Alternative water supplies (i.e., bottled water) are not necessary or required. What does this mean? Service line inventories are the foundation from which water systems take action to address a significant source of lead in drinking water. Establishing an inventory of service line materials and identifying the location of lead and GRR service lines is a key step in getting them replaced and protecting public health. Typically, lead enters water supplies by leaching from lead pipes, brass faucets, plumbing with lead solder, and other plumbing components containing lead. In homes with lead pipes that connect the home to the water main, also known as lead services lines, these pipes are typically the most significant source of lead in the water. Lead pipes are more likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986. Service lines made of galvanized iron or steel that are (or were previously) downstream of lead service lines are classified as galvanized requiring replacement (GRR) because galvanized service lines that are or ever were downstream from an LSL can absorb lead and contribute to lead in drinking water. Identifying and ultimately removing lead and GRR service lines is an important way to protect public health. What is being done? We were informed on December 5, 2024, of this violation. The Service Line Inventory was later approved on June 4, 2025. The revised Initial Service Line Inventory can be viewed at https://www.antigo-city.org/lead-service-program/ For more information on reducing lead exposure around your home/building and the health effects of lead, visit EPA's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/lead or contact your health care provider. *Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. * This notice is being sent to you by Antigo Waterworks.700 Edison St, Antigo, WI 54409. Phone 715- 623-3633 Public Water System ID#: 73400866. Date distributed: Will be distributed in bills starting 4/15/26 through 5/13/26