Citizens of Coushatta Water System met with Edwin Jones, Sr., to hear about Lead Service Line Inventory plans.

Council members Prelow, Webb, and Lewis, along with the water operator, Mohammed, attended the meeting and introduced the public to LCRR. This acronym covers the Lead and Copper rule revisions. EPA’s new Lead and Copper Rule better protects children and communities from the risks of lead exposure by protecting children at schools and childcare facilities, getting the lead out of our nation’s drinking water, and empowering communities through information.

The revisions require the initial service line inventory, notification to persons served of known or potential lead service lines, Tier 1 public notification of a lead action level exceedance, and associated reporting requirements, which have an initial compliance date of October 16, 2024.

The Town of Coushatta water system has already requested grant monies to help in the inventory and compliance in these initial stages. “With the upgrade of the supply lines for all of the water system, the time is now to begin looking at service lines of all of the residents.”, stated Mohammed. “We have met all the water test requirements and regulations to date. We have clean water in the supply lines. This is a profound upgrade for all the citizens, but now the EPA requirements say that checking all service lines (water lines from the meter to the house) is upcoming.”

During the next few months, workers will be coming from the city and contracted companies to check every service line. The first lines checked will be to schools, daycares, and the town’s most vulnerable citizens. The inventory will then be used to work with homeowners who have lead in their lines to mitigate the exposure.

More information will be disseminated through social media, The Journal, house visits, church visits, flyers, and direct mail. A Website will be available soon for all residents. “Outreach is our first step”, said Jones. “We will reach out to the citizens and let them know that we will be taking an inventory of all the areas around town. We will check the 1,100 service lines on the town system.”

“Keep in mind that no one is coming to dig up your water lines in the next few months. After a line is found to have lead, filters will be dispersed, and the Town will work with homeowners to replace the lines. This will take time.”