Protecting Water Quality

Louisville Water is focused on protecting the public’s health and that includes minimizing the risk for lead to get into your drinking water. An announcement by the EPA on November 30 aims to strengthen an existing water quality regulation called the Lead and Copper Rule. Louisville’s drinking water meets the EPA health standards and here’s what you should know about our work to ensure high-quality water.

Lead is not in the drinking water when it leaves our treatment plants. The risks for lead entering your water come from the corrosion of lead pipes and plumbing, primarily in service lines that run from the water mains into homes and businesses and from plumbing and plumbing fixtures inside the home that may contain lead.

Louisville Water balances the water chemistry to minimize the corrosion risk, and it’s important to remove lead service lines. Louisville Water has removed some 76,000 lead service lines we installed decades ago; we still occasionally find some, and when we do, we replace those lines. Now, we’re focused on our customers: helping them remove lead service lines on their property. Learn more about that effort here.

Louisville Water is committed to eliminating lead service lines and we’re committed to protecting public health. The EPA’s proposed improvements to the Lead and Copper Rule focus on eliminating lead service lines nationwide, changing how water utilities sample for the presence of lead and then respond to reduce exposure. The proposed improvements also include additional communication and Louisville Water certainly supports that. We love talking about how we produce and deliver drinking water.

Our experts will always talk with you about water quality, answer questions and if needed, test your water for free. The quality of the drinking water we provide to the community is that important.