The Town of Wellington Public Works Department recently completed a Federally-mandated inventory of water service lines in Town to identify any that are made of lead and need to be replaced.
Out of more than 4,200 service connections examined during the inventory, Town staff identified just 41 that require additional action. That means more than 99% of service line connections in Wellington are confirmed to be lead free and do not need to be replaced.
Service lines connect the Town’s water mains to the interior plumbing of residences. Service lines made of lead can result in elevated levels of lead in drinking water, which has been linked to serious health issues in all age groups — from unborn children still in the womb to senior citizens.
After performing this Lead Service Line Inventory, communities across the nation have had to spend millions of dollars to go through the disruptive process of service line replacement — a burden Wellington will not have to bear based on the results of our inventory.
The 41 service connections that fell into the “additional action needed” category did so because Town staff doesn’t have enough information to definitively say the connection is lead free. At this time, none of those connections has been identified as being made of lead.
Owners of the properties associated with those 41 service connections will be contacted directly by Town staff in the coming days with information on the next steps that need to be taken. Owners who are not contacted by Town staff need to take no further action.
Learn more about lead service lines at https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/lead-service-lines.