Starting October 16, 2024, water systems must issue a public notice within 24 hours of receiving their results if the 90th percentile lead concentration is .015 mg/L or higher, according to the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR). Exceeding the action level for lead requires a Tier 1 public notification.

New requirements for a lead action level exceedance

• Contact us immediately to report the exceedance. Contact our lead and copper rule manager, Dylan Martinez, at (385) 278-3807 or dylanmartinez@utah.gov or the Division of Drinking Water Front Desk at (801) 536-4200 or DDWReports@utah.gov .
• Issue the public notice to customers within 24 hours after you learn about the lead exceedance. The requirements are listed below in the table.
• Send us a copy of the notice at DDWReports@utah.gov
  Send a copy of the notice  to the EPA at LeadALE@EPA.gov.
• Within 10 days of issuing the public notice, certify via online form that the notice met all requirements

Requirements for the notice

24 Hour Public Notice after a lead Action Level Exceedance (ALE) must include:

• What happened – You exceeded the lead action level.
• When the lead ALE occurred.
• The mandatory health effects language: Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney, or nervous system problems.
• Whether alternative water supplies should be used.
• What actions consumers should take.
• What you are doing to address the lead ALE.
• When you expect to resolve the lead ALE.
• Contact information for your water system owner, operator, or designee.

Mandatory statement to share the public notice 

“Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.”

Delivery methods

Water systems must use one or more Direct Contact and one or more Broadcast delivery methods in the below table to notify consumers. We may select the delivery method required based on public health risk.

If you have any questions about this requirement, or about the Lead and Copper Rule Revision, please contact Dylan Martinez at (385) 278-3807 or dylanmartinez@utah.gov