Regulatory Landscape

Unfortunate water quality incidents elsewhere in the nation have prompted Federal and State officials to significantly strengthen regulatory requirements related to the identification and remediation of old lead service lines.

According to NHDES, the USEPA first established the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) in 1991 to protect public health and reduce exposure to lead in drinking water.  That rule was revised effective December 16, 2021, to include several new actions to better protect the public against the harmful effects of lead.

The Lead and Copper Rule Revision (LCRR) from 2021 included several new requirements, the most pressing one being the completion of lead service line inventories.  All community (CWS) water systems including Hooksett Village Water Precinct are required to create and maintain an inventory of their service lines throughout their distribution systems, paying special attention to any lead service lines that will need to be replaced.  An initial service line inventory was submitted to NHDES by the Precinct in accordance with the federal deadline of October 16, 2024.  Annual inventory updates are ongoing.

The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) were adopted on October 8, 2024.  This final rule requires drinking water systems across the country to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years.  The LCRI also requires more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold requiring communities to take action to protect people from lead exposure in water.  In addition, the final rule improves communication within communities so that families are better informed about the risk of lead in drinking water, the location of lead pipes, and plans for replacing them.

We make every effort to guarantee the safety of drinking water for all Precinct customers.  In fact, we began inventorying service lines back in 2016 in anticipation of the new rules.  Please be advised that based on many years of water system sampling results, physical knowledge of the system, and currently available documentation on many local service lines, we have no reason to believe that lead service lines are present in our system.  However, because some service line materials remain undocumented or partially documented, we will be following up with additional investigations to confirm that those materials are non-lead.

Beginning in November 2024, and annually thereafter, the Precinct will be notifying all customers with undocumented or partially documented service line materials that their lead status is "unknown" or "GRR" (see example below).  As additional investigations are completed, the number of customer notifications should decrease until all services have been fully identified.  In the unlikely event that a lead service line is identified, the customer will be immediately notified and we will work with them collaboratively to address the issue.

If you have any questions or concerns about the service line initiative, please don't hesitate to contact (603) 485-3392 or [email protected].

HELPFUL LINKS

LEAD BASICS
USEPA LCRI Fact Sheet
USEPA LCRI Water Consumer FAQs
AWWA - Lead "Keep Your Water Safe"
USEPA Basic Info about Lead in Drinking Water
NHDES Protect Your Tap: 10-minute Lead Test
NHDES Lead in Drinking Water FAQs
NHDES Homeowner Sampling Instructions
NHDES Lead in Drinking Water - Interpreting Lab Results

INVENTORY MATERIALS
HVWP Customer Notice - Unknown Water Service Line Material
HVWP Customer Notice - Galvanized Water Service Line - Requiring Replacement
HVWP LSL Inventory - November 2025
HVWP LSL Inventory SUMMARY - November 2025