Background
The Sacramento County Water Agency was required to conduct an inventory of all water service lines, which is the pipe that connects your building/home to the water main. The purpose of the inventory is to identify the material of these service lines and fittings, including the customer-owned side of the water service line (water line between the meter and your building/home).
Sacramento County Water Agency is currently replacing water service lines within the Arden Park Vista Service Area during the various capital improvement projects occurring. Once these projects are complete, all service lines will have been replaced and identified. All new water mains, and service lines between the water main and the new meter will be of non-lead material.
We anticipate the completion of the identification of the customer portion of you service line by 2027.
The inventory should have been completed by October 16, 2024, but it is considered incomplete. As a result, the pipe that currently connects your building to the water main has not been identified and is considered an unknown material. Lead service lines or certain galvanized pipe can potentially place you at risk for exposure to lead. Therefore, your service line material will need to be identified.
Lead Safe Community
Keep up on the status of your service line by going to our Lead Safe Community page.
The Sacramento County Water Agency is required to monitor for lead in the distribution system every three years. The most recent water sample results received in 2022 showed that the 90th percentile of all lead levels measured in the distribution system was Non-Detectable. The action level for lead in drinking water is 0.015 milligrams per liter (mg/L) or 15 micrograms per liter (μg/L). The next round of testing will be in the Summer of 2025.
Is my water affected?
If you did not receive any separate notice:
- This is not an emergency.
- Your water is safe to drink
- You do not need to use an alternative water supply (e.g., bottled water).
What about my service line?
You can help your public water system identify your service line material.
Inform us immediately if you plan to alter or replace your service line because we may be required to replace the system portion.
Contact Sacramento County Water Agency by calling 311 or visiting our website to share any information you may find about your service line, or to inform us of your plans to alter or replace your service line. What happens next?
Lead Related Health Information
- Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can cause new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems.
- If you have concerns about your water quality, the State Water Board’s Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program has a map of laboratories that can test your water at the consumer’s expense.
- If you still have health concerns from potential lead exposure in your drinking water, there are point-of-use (POU) devices that can be used on your drinking water taps to provide an additional barrier of protection. A list o residential treatment devices can be found on the State Water Board's website.
If you have other health issues concerning the consumption of this water, you may wish to consult your health care provider.
Additional Resources
To verify the material of your service line or for any other information, contact Nikolas Werner, 916-875-6896 or wernern@saccounty.gov or 10151 Florin Road, Sacramento, CA 95829
