This week, the City of Middletown sent out letters to approximately 4,400 water customers with information about their water service lines, which are the pipes connecting the water main to each building. These notifications must be sent by all public water systems, as required by Ohio EPA, to inform residents if their service line (pipe) material is lead, unknown, or galvanized, which may need replacement in the future.

The City of Middletown wants residents to know that while some service lines may contain lead, that does not mean lead is in your drinking water. The City of Middletown has an outstanding Water Treatment Facility that uses methods to reduce lead exposure. When water leaves the Middletown Water Treatment Facility, it does not contain lead. 

To learn more about Middletown Water Treatment, visit https://www.cityofmiddletown.org/355/Water-Treatment.

For questions email lcri@cityofmiddletown.org or contact the Water Treatment Plant at 513-425-7781.

Additional Links and Resources:

Middletown Water Treatment: https://www.cityofmiddletown.org/355/Water-Treatment

Middletown Water Treatment Phone Number: 513-425-7781

Middletown Lead Pipes Inventory Map: https://cityofmiddletown.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/ce697b721608422aa7c16b8a88324abb

United States EPA Lead Website: www.epa.gov/lead

Ohio EPA Lead Website: Learn About Lead | Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

Ohio Department of Health’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Website: https://odh.ohio.gov/know-our-programs/childhood-lead-poisoning

Lead Pipes At a Glance:

• The City of Middletown recently notified residents of either the presence of lead service lines, predicted lead service lines, galvanized service lines, or predicted galvanized service lines that require replacement.
  1. Lead service lines – Records show the presence of a lead service line
  2. Predicted lead service line – Records are unclear about the presence or non-presence of a lead service line (Lead Status Unknown) OR OEPA model predicts the presence of a lead service line
  3. Galvanized service line – Service line is or was, at any time, downstream of a lead service line or is currently downstream of a “Lead Status Unknown” service line.
  4. Predicted galvanized service line – It is presumed that service line was downstream of a lead service line.
• This notification is mandated by the United States and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and by the Safe Drinking Water Act.
• A service line is a water line that connects the home or building to the water main line.
• In most cases, the City owns a portion of the service line (up to the home-side of the sidewalk) and a resident owns a portion of the service line (from the property boundary to the home).
• The City of Middletown uses corrosion control treatment at the Water Treatment Plan to minimize the risk of metals from service line materials leaching into drinking water.
• The City also collects samples from tap water every three years to monitor for lead and copper in drinking water.
• Sampling results in the City of Middletown have consistently been below U.S. and Ohio EPA limits.
• The City of Middletown is required to provide information on opportunities for residents to replace their lead service lines. As opportunities become available, the City will share that information on the City website.
• If a resident decides to replace their lead service line, the City is required to replace its owned portion of the lead service line.
• There is no safe level of lead in drinking water. 
• Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups, especially pregnant people, infants (both formula-fed and breastfed), and young children. 
• Some of the health effects to infants and children include decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can also result in new or worsened learning and behavior problems. 
• The children of persons who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy may be at increased risk of these harmful health effects. Adults have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, and kidney or nervous system problems. 
• Contact your health care provider for more information about your risks and testing.
• Boiling water will not reduce lead.
• Residents are urged to use cold water for cooking, drinking, and preparing baby formula. Residents can reduce possible lead in water by running cold tap water until a temperature decrease is noticed.
• An ANSI certified lead filter can be effective at reducing lead levels in water.
• Those wishing to have their water tested for lead can contact the Water Treatment Plant at 513-425-7781.