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City manager: EPA rule required letter about unknown lead service lines; city will inventory 1,800 connections
Summary
City Manager Barry Carr told the Jenks City Council that a federal requirement forced the city to mail notices to customers with unknown service‑line materials. The city plans to excavate and inspect unknown connections, then schedule replacements as required, but the work will take time and resources.
The Jenks City Council received an explanation from City Manager Barry Carr about a city letter that raised concern among residents: the letter informed approximately 1,800 customers the city could not determine the material of their water service line and that the city would be inspecting those connections.
Carr said the notice was required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of a nationwide effort to locate and remove lead service lines. The letter — sent to properties where historical records did not clearly report pipe materials — led to several calls and questions because the mailing deadline fell just before the Thanksgiving holiday, when city offices were closed and staff could not immediately answer residents’ questions.
What the city will do: Carr said the next step is a physical inspection program to identify the material of the service line from the water main to the meter and, where necessary, from the meter into the building. He said inspections can require excavation, and some service locations may be several feet deep or complicated by tree roots or existing utilities, which lengthens field work. The city’s initial estimate to identify all unknowns is roughly eight inspections per workday; at that pace officials said it could take many months to a year to finish the inventory of 1,800 unknown connections.
Carr stressed that the letter and the inventory are about identifying the material of the service line, not a test of current water quality at taps. Jenks operates periodic lead sampling required under existing state and federal rules; Carr said sampling programs have not shown elevated lead levels in the city’s tested sites.
Costs and next steps: Once the inventory identifies service lines that contain lead materials, the city will need to plan replacement work. In some locations, that may require replacing associated water mains or coordinating with other utilities. Carr acknowledged resource constraints and said the city will prioritize replacements and coordinate with residents about timing. He also said the city will continue to use enforcement tools available when replacements intersect with other capital projects (for example, when a street segment is already scheduled for reconstruction).
Homeowner expectations and restoration: Council members asked how the city will restore yards and landscaping after excavations. Carr said city crews will return property to its original condition and replace any damaged infrastructure the city breaks while performing work; projects that intersect with private irrigation or landscaping will be addressed on a case‑by‑case basis.
How residents can follow up: Carr asked residents with questions to contact city staff rather than rely on at‑home lead test kits, which he said can produce variable results. He encouraged residents to report specific concerns and said city staff will prioritize communications and inspections to reduce confusion in neighborhoods where many records are incomplete.
Why it matters: Replacing lead service lines is a multi‑year, resource‑intensive effort for utilities. The city’s inventory step is the first compliance task under federal guidance; actual replacement programs require detailed planning, funding and coordination with homeowners to minimize disruption and ensure safe restoration of yards and infrastructure.
