Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Quality Lead And Copper topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges city to address record gaps for water service lines and compliance with lead and copper rule
Summary
A resident raised concerns that Las Cruces utilities rely on incomplete records to declare many properties lead-free and urged the city to bring in senior engineering expertise to assess and remedy data deficiencies under the EPA lead and copper rule.
During public participation Monday, resident Liz Rodriguez Johnson questioned the city bout its record-keeping for water service lines and whether the utility can meet EPA requirements under the Lead and Copper Rule.
"At a briefing 11/16/2024 city personnel stated that 15,627 properties were determined to be lead free. It was stated that this conclusion was 'based on available records,'" Rodriguez Johnson said, adding that available records often contain errors or omissions. She said the new rule treats galvanized service lines as lead-impacted unless a system can demonstrate the galvanized line was never downstream of a lead service line, and asked how the city can demonstrate that absent reliable records.
Rodriguez Johnson urged the council to bring in at least one engineer with senior management experience to comprehensively address documented record deficiencies. She cited examples she said were in the city's inventory map, including incorrect installation dates and missing hookup data for hundreds of properties.
Her public comment was recorded in the meeting record; council did not take an immediate action on the item during the public comment period.
