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Taos reports zero confirmed lead service lines so far; 1,300 accounts remain unknown
Summary
Taos water staff said the town has inventoried about 2,800 service connections for EPA LCRR compliance, confirmed over half are non-lead, identified zero lead lines to date, and proposed probabilistic sampling and school/daycare testing next year to reach regulatory confidence.
Town GIS analyst Tim Corner and water staff reported to council that the town has completed an initial lead service-line inventory required by the EPALead and Copper Rule revisions.
Corner said the inventory includes more than 2,800 service connections; about 1,000 meter-can surveys and assessor-based age analysis confirmed non-lead material for more than half of those accounts. The team identified roughly 100 galvanized customer-side lines, and has so far identified zero lead service lines.
Corner described the field approach: operators used ArcGIS survey apps to record meter-can inspections and mailed over 1,300 notices to customers with unknown service-line material inviting home-owner input. Water operator Herbert Olsen explained how field crews identify materials (visual cues and a magnet test to distinguish galvanized from lead).
Staff told council they have about 1,300 unknowns remaining and proposed a probabilistic sampling plan submitted to the New Mexico Environment Department that would test roughly 20% of the inventory and achieve about 95% statistical confidence if no lead is found in the sample. The town also plans to sample schools and daycares under the rule.
Council members thanked the water crews and asked for periodic progress reports; staff said they expect to complete the inventory and move to sampling ahead of next Octobers deadlines.
