City of Lebanon Authority customers to test for lead in drinking water

On Wednesday, 21 customers of the City of Lebanon Authority (CoLA) who have known lead service lines will take a sample of their water for analysis to determine the presence or absence of lead.

CoLA has routinely tested for lead for between 15 and 20 years and at various locations throughout its distribution system. All recent testing has shown no indication of lead in any customers’ water, Tom Deitzler, CoLA deputy director, told the board at its meeting Monday.

Wednesday’s single-day sampling is the first to target known lead service lines and the first to follow a strict protocol. Fourteen additional customers will sample their water, but their service lines are of unknown material, Deitzler said in an email Tuesday.

Lead pipes have been known to leach lead particles into drinking water. Lead-contaminated drinking water is harmful to children, pregnant women and adults with compromised health. The effects of lead poisoning are not reversible.

Of CoLA’s 21,799 services lines in its water distribution system, 1,931 from the main to the curb stop are either lead or of unknown material, Deitzler told the board. On the customer side—that is, from the curb stop into the house—9,290 service lines are of unknown material.

Efforts by the Water Maintenance Department are ongoing to reduce the number of service lines of unknown material, Deitzler said.

Deitzler also reported to the board that representatives with Fort Indiantown Gap have signed an agreement with CoLA to supply up to 500,000 gallons of water a day. CoLA has long supplied water to the Gap but didn’t have a signed agreement.

North Lebanon Township continues to take steps toward the dedication of its water system to CoLA, Deitzler also said. The township has almost 12 miles of water mains and service lines that serve about 800 customers in the area northeast of 8^th Avenue and Maple Street, including the Briar Lake and Sweetbriar developments. Once the system is dedicated, CoLA will own the system.

Read More: North Lebanon Township to turn over water mains to City of Lebanon Authority

“We met with township staff last month to consider who’s responsible for tasks leading up to dedication,” said Deitzler who added that leak detection needs to occur.

In other business, the board approved:

• Payment of invoices for upgrades and improvements to the wastewater treatment plant. Paid were:
  • $1,206,000 to Pact Two, general contracting;
  • $125,875 to Garden Spot Mechanical, HVAC;
  • $185,250 to Garden Spot Electric, electric.
• Sale of water capacity to:
  • ABARTA CC Beverage, 12 Ritter way, 10-inch fire line,17 EDUs, $49,300;
  • Cornwall borough, Quinn Estates, 22 EDUs, $43,890;
  • Cornwall borough, 289 Burd Coleman Rd., $2,300.

The City of Lebanon Authority Board meets at 2311 Ridgeview Road, Lebanon, on the second Monday of each month at 3 p.m. The next meeting will be Monday, Feb. 10. These meetings are open to the public and do not require registration.