City of Greeley News

The City of Greeley's water is lead-free. However, lead can get into water that travels through older pipes and plumbing fixtures made of lead. Greeley has replaced all known lead lines owned by the city. It will now work with customers to inspect and replace any remaining lead water service lines on customer properties. 

Greeley Water will contact approximately 1,900 property owners to test their water and inspect the type of service line material. These customers will receive door hangers and letters with information before work begins. In some cases, the city may need to do “potholing” (digging small holes the size of a basketball) in the yard over the service line. This procedure allows workers to inspect the pipes visually.

Greeley Water wants customers with homes built before 1981 to complete a voluntary online questionnaire to determine the material of their service line. The questionnaire is at www.greeleygov.com/leadprotection.

The project is in response to a greater national focus on lead in drinking water and new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency revisions to the regulation known as the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR).

"Greeley Water's top priority is to provide safe drinking water and protect public health," said Sean Chambers, Director of Greeley Water and Sewer. "Exposure to lead over a long period may cause health effects. It's important to find and replace any lead service lines that still exist to prevent the possibility of lead leaching into the water used by our customers."  

Homes built before 1930 have a higher possibility for lead service lines and are the focus in this first phase. A city ban on lead pipes adopted in 1980 means homes built after 1981 shouldn’t have lead service lines. The city will replace residential lead service lines for free. If customers don’t receive a letter, then their home is not part of the project’s initial phase.

A lead service line or lead plumbing does not necessarily mean a customer's water contains lead. The City of Greeley will provide free filters to select customers whose service lines are believed to contain lead. Greeley Water will then recommend further action based on the testing and inspection results.

Questions? Go to www.greeleygov.com/leadprotection or email waterquality@greeleygov.com.

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