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City utility to mail lead/copper notice after DNR finds formatting issues; public already notified of some lead/galvanized services
Summary
Two Rivers officials said a required inventory of water service materials is being revised after a Wisconsin DNR review; the utility will send a citywide notice within 30 days even though prior targeted mailings to known lead or galvanized connections were correct, officials said.
City officials told the Two Rivers City Council on Feb. 3 that the water utility must send a citywide notice after the Department of Natural Resources identified deficiencies in the formatting and presentation of the city's lead service inventory.
City staff said the utility complied with federal and state deadlines to inventory service line materials and to mail notices to customers identified as having lead, galvanized (treated as lead) or unknown service materials. The DNR review found that certain incidental documentation in the inventory did not meet the agency’s standards, which has produced a level‑2 violation that triggers a required public notice to all customers within 30 days.
“Everybody that was notified prior to this, those notifications were correct,” said Andrew Sukhawati, Water Superintendent. He told the council the utility will correct the incidental items in the inventory, meet with the DNR’s contracted engineering reviewer, resubmit the inventory and send the citywide notice as required. The notice will be mailed separately from the utility billing cycle because the 30‑day deadline cannot be met with the billing schedule.
City staff emphasized the DNR classification relates to the inventory presentation and not to treatment efficacy. “There aren't issues with the treatment of the city's water,” staff said, noting that the violation does not mean the water supply was unsafe but does require the broader notice.
Officials reminded residents that the service line inventory divides the lateral into public (main to shutoff) and private (shutoff to meter) segments, and that anyone who wants to confirm the utility’s record for their property may visit the utility office during normal business hours or consult posted materials online and in mailed brochures.
Council members and staff said they are working with consultants and the DNR to correct the report quickly and to ensure accurate messaging in the required public notice.
