MassDEP urges water systems to meet Oct. 16 lead service‑line inventory deadline; outlines 24‑hour public‑notice and Nov. 15 consumer‑notice requirements

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) told public water systems Wednesday that they must submit an initial Service Line Inventory (SLI) by Oct. 16, 2024, and distribute Service Line Inventory consumer notices 30 days after submission — effectively by Nov. 15 for systems that submit on Oct. 16.

"By October 16th, you will submit the initial Service Line inventory and the required forms," said Jasmine Stranges, an environmental analyst in MassDEP’s Drinking Water Program, describing the immediate compliance steps systems must take.

Why it matters: the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) announced by EPA will introduce additional requirements for inventories and sampling; MassDEP emphasized that several LCRI elements will not change until states adopt implementing rules and that the current action level of 15 µg/L (15 parts per billion) remains in effect until the LCRI takes effect for states (MassDEP said the federal process gives states up to two years to promulgate rules).

Key requirements and timing - Service Line Inventory (SLI): initial inventories must be submitted as a CSV file to the MassDEP Drinking Water Program email by Oct. 16, 2024. Required fields include a locational identifier, service line…