WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The City of West Plains will mail federally required service line notification letters to water customers next week as part of ongoing compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule.
The letters are informational and do not indicate that a customer’s drinking water is unsafe. Instead, they notify residents that the material of their water service line is currently classified as unknown and encourage customers to help identify it by completing a short survey included with the letter.
“These notices are required by the EPA for water systems nationwide,” said Utility Director Shayne Eades. “Receiving this letter does not mean there is lead in your water or that your water is unsafe to drink. It simply means we have not yet confirmed the material of the service line connected to your property.”
Over the past year, City of West Plains utility crews have successfully identified approximately 10% of previously unknown service lines. The city will continue this identification effort throughout 2026 as part of a long-term, federally mandated inventory process.
Customer participation is a key part of that effort. The letter includes instructions for visually identifying service line materials, along with a QR code linking to a short self-identification survey. Residents are encouraged to complete the survey even if they are unsure of their service line material.
The Lead and Copper Rule is designed to help communities across the country fully document water service line materials and, where necessary, plan for future replacement programs. Identifying service lines now also helps the city qualify for potential state and federal funding should replacements ever be needed.
Residents with questions after receiving the letter are encouraged to contact the City of West Plains Water Department directly using the contact information provided in the mailing.
Additional information about lead in drinking water and the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule is available at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
