With new nationwide requirements in place from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the City of Yuma will be notifying residents of homes built before 1990 of upcoming water line inspections. In a 2021 change to its rule about lead and copper, the EPA now requires all water utilities such as the City to identify the service line material on both sides of the water meter.

The city has approximately 15,000 homes that were built prior to 1990, when Arizona required all homes to be free of lead piping. However, the service line materials for homes built before 1990 have not been inspected. Over the next month, these homes should expect to receive an EPA-required Notice of Unknown Service Line Material from the City.

Lead has never been an issue in City of Yuma water. Since the EPA’s 1991 rules for lead and copper went into effect, annual testing has always found the City in compliance. Colorado River source water naturally has a reduced risk of pipe corrosion, which minimizes the potential for metals being released into drinking water. Local standards and practices indicate no evidence of lead pipes used in building construction, and lead has never been used in Yuma water lines.

Receiving a notice does not mean lead is in the home; it simply indicates the service line material has not been inspected. The required notice will also include an explanation of EPA’s lead and copper guidelines. Residents who receive this notice should be aware that City staff will conduct a free visual inspection of their water service line. If the service line is not easily accessible, City staff will ask the resident’s permission to access the service line prior to conducting the inspection.

With approximately 15,000 lines remaining to be inspected, the City expects the entire inventory will take several years to complete. Residents that still need to have their service lines inspected will receive a letter from the City every July until the inventory is complete. In the unlikely event that a lead service line is found on the customer side of the water meter, the City will immediately inform the resident by mail.

The inspection results will be uploaded to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) for inclusion in a web-based service line inventory map showing the service line material for every connection.

For more information on reducing lead exposure from your drinking water and the health effects of lead, visit EPA’s website at http://www.epa.gov/lead.

Letter from Director of Utilites

Letter from Director of Utilites (Espanol)

EPA Unknown Service Line Public Notice (English)

EPA Unknown Service Line Public Notice (Espanol)

The publicly available service line inventory link is below. The service line material inventory is an interactive map which allows you to access the status of your service line. 

City of Yuma Service Line Inventory Link:

Service Line Inventory (arcgis.com)

120 Water Service Line Inventory Link:

https://adeq.120water-ptd.com/

What Is a Service Line?

A service line is the pipe that carries water from the City's water main through a water meter and then to a property.

Service Line Illustration (Image Below)