Mo. Code Regs. Ann. tit. 10, § 60-15.060
PURPOSE: This rule sets forth the content and mode of delivery of written and broadcast materials to be used by water systems when action levels have been exceeded. It also addresses supplemental monitoring and notification of results for any customer who requests that monitoring.
(1) Content of Written Materials.
(3) of this rule.
ment of Natural Resources (DNR) and (insert name of water supplier) are concerned about lead in your drinking water. Although most homes have very low levels of lead in their drinking water, some homes in the community have lead levels above the DNR action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) or 0.015 milligrams of lead per liter of water (mg/l). Under federal and state law we are required to have a program in place to minimize lead in your drinking water by (insert date when corrosion control will be completed for your system). This program includes corrosion control treatment, source water treatment and public education. We are also required to replace the portion of each lead service line that we control if the line contributes lead concentrations of more than 15 ppb after we have completed the comprehensive treatment program. If you have any questions about how we are carrying out the requirements of the lead rule please give us a call at (insert water system’s phone number). This brochure explains the simple steps you can take to protect you and your family by reducing your exposure to lead in drinking water.”
common metal found throughout the environment in lead-based paint, air, soil, household dust, food, certain types of pottery porcelain and pewter, brass fixtures and water. Lead can pose a significant risk to your health if too much of it enters your body. Lead builds up in the body over many years and can cause damage to the brain, red blood cells and kidneys. The greatest risk is to young children and pregnant women. Amounts of lead that will not hurt adults can slow down normal mental and physical development of growing bodies. In addition, a child at play often comes into contact with sources of lead contamination, like dirt and dust, that rarely affect an adult. It is important to wash children’s hands and toys often, and to try to make sure they only put food in their mouths.”
3. Lead in Drinking Water.
rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, can significantly increase a person’s total lead exposure, particularly the exposure of infants who drink baby formulas and concentrated juices that are mixed with water. The DNR estimates that drinking water can make up 20 percent or more of a person’s total exposure to lead.
water contaminants in that it seldom occurs naturally in water supplies like rivers and lakes. It is also rare in groundwater, even in Missouri’s lead belt. Lead enters drinking water primarily as a result of the corrosion, or wearing away, of materials containing lead in the water distribution system and household plumbing. These materials include leadbased solder used to join copper pipe, brass and chrome-plated brass faucets, and, in some cases, pipes made of lead that connect your house to the water main (service lines). In 1986, Congress banned the use of lead solder containing greater than 0.2 percent lead and restricted the lead content of faucets, pipes and other plumbing materials to 8.0 percent. Missouri rule 10 CSR 60-10.040 requires that as of January 1, 1989, all materials used in the construction, expansion, modification or improvement of a public water system or customer water system shall be lead-free. This does not apply to leaded joints necessary for the repair of cast iron pipes. In addition, any customer water system constructed, expanded, modified or repaired after January 1, 1989, that is connected to a public water system and later is found to contain materials that are not lead-free, shall have the water meter removed or otherwise have the service line severed from the public water system when the supplier of water is so ordered by the appropriate local government authority (if one exists) or by the department. This requirement does not apply to any customer water system previously served by a water system other than a public water system.
or plumbing systems containing lead for several hours or more, the lead may dissolve into your drinking water. This means the first water drawn from the tap in the morning or later in the afternoon after returning from work or school can contain fairly high levels of lead.”
Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water.
tioned earlier to control water corrosivity and remove lead from the water supply, lead levels in some homes or buildings can be high. To find out whether you need to take action in your own home, have your drinking water tested to determine if it contains excessive concentrations of lead. Testing the water is essential because you cannot see, taste or smell lead in drinking water. Some local laboratories that can provide this service are listed at the end of this booklet. For more information on having your water tested, please call (insert phone number of water system).
drinking water drawn from a tap in your home contains lead above 15 ppb, then you should take the following precautions:
before using it for drinking or cooking any time the water in a faucet has gone unused for more than six hours. The longer water resides in your home’s plumbing the more lead it may contain. Flushing the tap means running the cold water faucet until the water gets noticeably colder, usually about 15–30 seconds. If your house has a lead service line to the water main, you may have to flush the 10 CSR 60-15
water for a longer time, perhaps one minute, before drinking. Although toilet flushing or showering flushes water through a portion of your home’s plumbing system, you still need to flush the water in each faucet before using it for drinking or cooking. Flushing tap water is a simple and inexpensive measure you can take to protect your family’s health. It usually uses less than one or two gallons of water and costs less than (insert a cost estimate based on flushing two times a day for 30 days) per month. To conserve water, fill a couple of bottles for drinking water after flushing the tap and whenever possible use the first flush water to wash the dishes or water the plants. If you live in a high-rise building, letting the water flow before using it may not work to lessen your risk from lead. The plumbing systems have more, and sometimes larger pipes than smaller buildings. Ask your landlord for help in locating the source of the lead and for advice on reducing the lead level;
water from the hot water tap. Hot water can dissolve more lead more quickly than cold water. If you need hot water, draw water from the cold tap and heat it on the stove;
debris from the plumbing materials installed in newly constructed homes, or homes in which the plumbing has recently been replaced, by removing the faucet strainers from all taps and running the water from three to five minutes. After that, periodically remove the strainers and flush out any debris that has accumulated over time;
joined with lead solder that has been installed illegally since it was banned in 1989, notify the plumber who did the work and request that s/he replace the lead solder with leadfree solder. Lead solder looks dull gray and when scratched with a key looks shiny. In addition, notify the Public Drinking Water Program of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources at (800) 334-6946 about the violation;
service line that connects your home or apartment to the water main is made of lead. The best way to determine if your service line is made of lead is by either hiring a licensed plumber to inspect the line or by contacting the plumbing contractor who installed the line. You can identify the plumbing contractor by checking the city’s record of building permits which should be maintained in the files of the (insert name of department that issues building permits). A licensed plumber at the same time can check to see if your home’s plumbing contains lead solder, lead pipes or pipe fittings that contain lead. The public water system that delivers water to your home should also maintain records of the materials located in the distribution system. If the service line that connects your dwelling to the water main contributes more than 15 ppb to drinking water, after our comprehensive treatment program is in place, we are required to replace the portion of the line we own. If the line is only partially controlled by the (insert name of the city, county or water system that controls the line), we are required to provide the owner of the privately-owned portion of the line with information on how to replace the privately-owned portion of the service line, and offer to replace that portion of the line at the owner’s expense. If we replace only the portion of the line that we own, we also are required to notify you in advance and provide you with information on the steps you can take to minimize exposure to any temporary increase in lead levels that may result from the partial replacement, to take a follow-up sample at our expense from the line within 72 hours after the partial replacement, and to mail or otherwise provide you with the results of that sample within three business days of receiving the results. Acceptable replacement alternatives include copper, steel, iron and plastic pipes; and
your wiring. If grounding wires from the electrical system are attached to your pipes, corrosion may be greater. Check with a licensed electrician or your local electrical code to determine if your wiring can be grounded elsewhere. Do not attempt to change the wiring yourself because improper grounding can cause electrical shock and fire hazards.
reduce the lead concentrations in your drinking water. However, if a water test indicates that the drinking water coming from your tap contains lead concentrations in excess of 15 ppb after flushing, or after we have completed our actions to minimize lead levels, then you may want to take the following additional measures:
ment device. Home treatment devices are limited in that each unit treats only the water that flows from the faucet to which it is connected, and all of the devices require periodic maintenance and replacement. Devices, such as reverse osmosis systems or distillers, can effectively remove lead from your drinking water. Some activated carbon filters may reduce lead levels at the tap; however, all lead reduction claims should be investigated. Be sure to check the actual performance of a specific home treatment device before and after installing the unit; and
drinking and cooking.
sources for additional information. Your family doctor or pediatrician can perform a blood test for lead and provide you with information about the health effects of lead. State and local government agencies that can be contacted include:
county department of public utilities) at (insert phone number) can provide you with information about your community’s water supply and a list of local laboratories that have been certified by DNR for testing water quality;
county department that issues building permits) at (insert phone number) can provide you with information about building permit records that should contain the names of plumbing contractors that plumbed your home; and
Health at (800) 392-7245 or the (insert the name of the city or county health department) at (insert phone number) can provide you with information about the health effects of lead and how you can have your child’s blood tested.
state-approved laboratories in your area that you can call to have your water tested for lead: (insert names and phone numbers of at least two (2) laboratories).”
(B) Nontransient Noncommunity Water Systems. A nontransient noncommunity water system shall either include the text specified in subsection (1)(A) of this rule or shall include the following text in all of the printed materials it distributes through its lead public education program. Water systems may delete information pertaining to lead service lines upon approval by the department if no lead service lines exist anywhere in the water system service area. Any additional information presented by a system shall be consistent with the information below and be in plain English that can be understood by lay people.
ment of Natural Resources (DNR) and (insert name of water supplier) are concerned about lead in your drinking water. Some drinking water samples taken from this facility have lead levels above the DNR action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb), or 0.015 milligrams of lead per liter of water (mg/l). We are required to have a program in place to minimize lead in your drinking water by (insert date when corrosion control will be completed for your system). This program includes corrosion control treatment, source water treatment, and public education. We are also required to replace the portion of each lead service line that we own if the line contributes lead concentrations of more than 15 ppb after we have completed the comprehensive treatment program. If you have any questions about how we are carrying out the requirements of the lead regulation please give us a call at (insert water system’s phone number). This brochure explains the simple steps you can take to protect yourself by reducing your exposure to lead in drinking water.”
throughout the environment in lead-based paint, air, soil, household dust, food, certain types of pottery porcelain and pewter, and water. Lead can pose a significant risk to your health if too much of it enters your body. Lead builds up in the body over many years and can cause damage to the brain, red blood cells and kidneys. The greatest risk is to young children and pregnant women. Amounts of lead that won’t hurt adults can slow down normal mental and physical development of growing bodies. In addition, a child at play often comes into contact with sources of lead contamination—like dirt and dust—that rarely affect an adult. It is important to wash children’s hands and toys often, and to try to make sure they only put food in their mouths.”
3. Lead in drinking water.
rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, can significantly increase a person’s total lead exposure, particularly the exposure of infants who drink baby formulas and concentrated juices that are mixed with water. The EPA estimates that drinking water can make up 20 percent or more of a person’s total exposure to lead.
water contaminants in that it seldom occurs naturally in water supplies like rivers and lakes. Lead enters drinking water primarily as a result of the corrosion, or wearing away, of materials containing lead in the water distribution system and household plumbing. These materials include lead-based solder used to join copper pipe, brass and chromeplated brass faucets, and in some cases, pipes made of lead that connect houses and buildings to water mains (service lines). In 1986, Congress banned the use of lead solder containing greater than 0.2 percent lead, and restricted the lead content of faucets, pipes and other plumbing materials to 8.0 percent.
or plumbing systems containing lead for several hours or more, the lead may dissolve into your drinking water. This means the first water drawn from the tap in the morning, or later in the afternoon if the water has not been used all day, can contain fairly high levels of lead.”
to lead in drinking water.
before using it for drinking or cooking any time the water in a faucet has gone unused for more than six hours. The longer water resides in plumbing the more lead it may contain. Flushing the tap means running the cold water faucet for about 15–30 seconds. Although toilet flushing or showering flushes water through a portion of the plumbing system, you still need to flush the water in each faucet before using it for drinking or cooking. Flushing tap water is a simple and inexpensive measure you can take to protect your health. It usually uses less than one gallon of water.
from the hot water tap. Hot water can dissolve more lead more quickly than cold water. If you need hot water, draw water from the cold tap and then heat it.
reduce the lead concentrations in your drinking water. However, if you are still concerned, you may wish to use bottled water for drinking and cooking.
sources for additional information. Your family doctor or pediatrician can perform a blood test for lead and provide you with information about the health effects of lead. State and local government agencies that can be contacted include: (insert the name or title of facility official if appropriate) at (insert phone number) can provide you with information about your facility’s water supply.”
(3) Delivery of a Public Education Program.
(B) A community water system that exceeds the lead action level on the basis of tap water samples collected in accordance with 10 CSR 60-15.070, and that is not already repeating public education tasks pursuant to subsection (3)(C), (3)(G) or (3)(H) of this rule within sixty (60) days shall—
water utility bill containing the information in section (1) of this rule, along with the following alert on the water bill itself in large print: “SOME HOMES IN THIS COMMU- NITY HAVE ELEVATED LEAD LEVELS IN THEIR DRINKING WATER. LEAD CAN POSE A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO YOUR HEALTH. PLEASE READ THE ENCLOSED NOTICE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.” A community water system having a billing cycle that does not include a billing within sixty (60) days of exceeding the action level, or that cannot insert information in the water utility bill without making major changes to its billing system, may use a separate mailing to deliver the information in subsection (1)(A) of this rule as long as the information is delivered to each customer within sixty (60) days of exceeding the action level. Such water systems shall also include the “alert” language specified in this paragraph.
(1)(A) of this rule to the editorial departments of the major daily and weekly newspapers circulated throughout the community;
both, that contain the public education materials in paragraphs (1)(A)2. and 4. of this rule to facilities and organizations, including the following:
boards, or both;
(WIC), Head Start Program(s), or both, whenever available; 10 CSR 60-15
clinics, or both;
ment in section (2) of this rule to at least five (5) of the radio and television stations with the largest audiences that broadcast to the community served by the water system.
3. of this rule every twelve (12) months and the tasks contained in paragraph (3)(B)4. of this rule every six (6) months for as long as the system exceeds the lead action level.
(D) Within sixty (60) days after it exceeds the lead action level (unless it already is repeating public education tasks pursuant to subsection (3)(E) of this rule) a nontransient noncommunity water system shall deliver the public education materials contained in subsections (1)(A) or (B) of this rule as follows:
drinking water in a public place or common area in each of the buildings served by the system; and
brochures, or both, on lead in drinking water to each person served by the nontransient noncommunity water system. The system may utilize electronic transmission in lieu of or combined with printed materials as long as it achieves at least the same coverage.
(G) A community water system may use the text specified in subsection (1)(B) of this rule instead of the text in subsection (1)(A) of this rule and may perform the tasks listed in subsections (3)(D) and (3)(E) of this rule instead of the tasks in subsections (3)(B) and (3)(C) of this rule if:
prison or a hospital, where the population served is not capable of or is prevented from making improvements to plumbing or installing point-of-use treatment devices; and
the cost of services provided and does not separately charge for water consumption.
(H) A community water system serving three thousand three hundred (3,300) or fewer people may omit the task contained in paragraph (3)(B)4. of this rule. As long as it distributes notices containing the information contained in paragraph (1)(A)1. of this rule to every household served by the system, such systems may further limit their public education programs as follows:
or fewer people may forego the task contained in paragraph (3)(B)2. of this rule. Such a system may limit the distribution of the public education materials required under paragraph (3)(B)3. of this rule to facilities and organizations served by the system that are most likely to be visited regularly by pregnant women and children, unless it is notified by the department in writing that it must make a broader distribution. A community water system serving three thousand three hundred (3,300) or fewer people that delivers public education in accordance with this paragraph shall repeat the required public education tasks at least once during each calendar year in which the system exceeds the lead action level.
ing, a system serving five hundred one to three thousand three hundred (501–3,300) people may omit the task in paragraph (3)(B)2. of this rule and/or limit the distribution of the public education materials required under paragraph (3)(B)3. of this rule to facilities and organizations served by the system that are most likely to be visited regularly by pregnant women and children.
AUTHORITY: section 640.100, RSMo 2000.* Original rule filed Aug. 4, 1992, effective May 6, 1993. Amended: Filed Aug. 14, 2001, effective April 30, 2002. *Original authority: 640.100, RSMo 1939, amended 1978, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999.