City of Lebanon Authority to send letters to 10,000 customers about pipe material

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

In the next weeks, more than 10,000 City of Lebanon Authority (CoLA) customers will receive letters informing them that the lines carrying water from the curb into their residences are galvanized iron, lead, or of unknown material — and inspection is necessary to determine which.

The notification, required by the state Department of Environmental Protection, is part of federal efforts to protect consumers from possible lead poisoning as occurred in Flint, Michigan. Lead-contaminated drinking water can cause irreversible health issues for children and those with compromised immune systems.

For more than a year, CoLA has been inspecting and updating its inventory of the service lines it owns and maintains and that go from the water main to the curb. To date, CoLA has identified 2,140 of its lines that are galvanized iron, lead, or unknown material, deputy director Tom Deitzler told the board Monday.

But the number of service lines of galvanized iron, lead or unknown material belonging to customers is 8,682, Deitzler said.

“These lines on the customer side historically have not been considered our asset, so we have no inventory on them,” Deitzler said.

A year ago, CoLA sent out similar letters, but to a much smaller number of customers. Of its 23,000 services lines distributing water, CoLA had determined that 1,800 of those had pipes of unknown materials, 165 had lead, and the remainder galvanized iron service lines.

“It stirred up some two or three dozen calls,” said Jon Beers, CoLA executive director, told the board.

Customers who receive the new letters and want to know the composition of their pipe material can do a quick test. If a pipe is copper colored with green spots, it likely is copper, which a quick scratch on the pipe will confirm, according to a CoLA notice. If the pipe is a black, gray and hard metal, it likely is iron while a gray, shiny, silver soft metal likely is lead.

If called, CoLA water maintenance employees can provide assistance in determining the pipe material, Deitzler said.

“We don’t want people to panic,” he added.

CoLA has tested for the presence of lead throughout its distribution system since 1992 and never had results showing issues with lead in drinking water until a recent water sample from a known lead service line. That test showed lead exceeding the federal standard of 15 parts per billion, and the service line was immediately replaced.

Deitzler also told the board that DEP advised CoLA not to file for a temporary reprieve from the flowby levels called for in its water allocation permit. CoLA had intended to apply for that reprieve in October as it was not meeting levels.

Read More: City of Lebanon Authority to meet with DEP to discuss flowby for Siegrist Dam

CoLA is required to withdraw 3.1 million gallons/day (mgd) from the Siegrist Dam in order to protect aquatic life and downstream users. But the current dry weather has reduced the reservoir’s water level, so water is not flowing over the spillway. A 6-inch pipe releases some water but not the required 3.1 mgd.

To meet the flowby requirements, CoLA has opened a blow-off valve at the dam, releasing an estimated 2.5 mgd, Deitzler said.

That’s the solution until DEP approves CoLA’s proposed project to add a 12-inch pipe at the dam that will allow additional water to flow into the Mill Creek during dry months.

In other business, the board:

• Approved three change orders for the wastewater treatment plant improvements project to allow for relocation of the flare stack where excess methane gas is released. The flare stack must be moved from its current location, which has been determined to be too close to a newly constructed building.
• Approved construction invoices for the wastewater treatment plant improvements for $875,122.70, Pact Two, general construction; $16,245, Garden Spot Mechanical, plumbing; $188,610, Garden Spot Mechanical, HVAC; and $148,675, Garden Spot Electric, electric.
• Learned that CoLA will be upgrading about 3,600 meters that provide radio signals for reading water usage. The batteries in the current meters cannot be replaced, so new meters are being purchased.
• Discussed the proposed three-way agreement with Cornwall Borough, West Cornwall Township Municipal Authority (WCTMA) and CoLA for an interconnect between water systems. CoLA staff has concerns about the potential effects of mixing its surface water with high pH and low alkalinity with WCTMA well water with low pH and high alkalinity.
• Awarded contracts for chemical and pipe bids. Deitzler said there was little price fluctuation between 2026 and 2025 prices.
• Welcomed Ed Lynch as a new board member. Lynch was appointed to fill the remainder of George Christianson’s term. Christianson died in August. His term ends Jan. 1, 2028.

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, Dec. 8. These meetings are open to the public and do not require registration.