After a comprehensive multi-year inspection, Austin Water has confirmed that the city's public water system is free of lead pipes. This announcement follows a decades-long effort to inventory and eliminate any lead infrastructure within the system.
For over 50 years, Austin Water has been implementing strategies to prevent lead exposure in the water supply. Lead has not been allowed in public pipeline infrastructure since the 1950s. Since the 1960s, Austin Water has removed pre-existing lead lines during routine maintenance and water line rehabilitation projects. In 2016, they began a detailed record review and material inventory of all public water service lines, including both public and private side indicators, in accordance with the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. The work was completed last month, confirming no lead pipes exist in Austin's public water system.
The inventory process involved a thorough examination of service line materials on both public and private properties. Each line was categorized per EPA guidelines as lead, non-lead, galvanized requiring replacement, or unknown status regarding lead presence. By the end of this process, there were no unknown or lead service lines remaining in the system. Additionally, special attention was given to lines serving schools and licensed daycares; none contained lead pipes.
Fewer than 1,000 private-side meter lines are galvanized and may pose a risk of lead contamination. Austin Water has committed to assisting homeowners who choose to replace these galvanized lines. Information about this replacement program and details of all lines within Austin Water’s service area can be accessed through an interactive web map available to the public.