COLUMBIANA –Area municipal water systems are approaching a notification deadline regarding the status of their water pipes.

During Tuesday’s council meeting, Columbiana city manager Lance Willard explained to members that the city water department has until Nov. 15 to contact its water customers who may have been potentially exposed to lead through leeching as water travels through pipes statewide.

Willard said the Rural Community Action Partnership (RCAP) is assisting with Columbiana’s compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandate, which may require replacement of problematic water lines due to new safe drinking water regulations.

Through the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), the U.S. EPA has set its action level for the lead in the drinking water at 15 parts per billion (ppb) or 15 micrograms per liter.

This is not an unfunded mandate like many, as suppliers can apply to receive a portion of up to $26 billion in funding to address the lead and drinking water and $15 billion is specifically dedicated to replace lead service lines.

In Columbiana’s case, out of the 3,400 household customers, the city will be mailing letters to 1,700 householders whose building service lines may contain lead.

He said on Wednesday that only 12 of those household customers have confirmed needed remediation.

Exposure to lead can cause learning and behavior issues, anemia and delayed development in children as well as increase the risk of heart disease, nervous and kidney issues for adults.

Although the letters are required to be sent in less than a week, customers don’t need to replace the waterlines until 2037.

Willard said that the city has received $100,000 in grant funding to assist with covering the cost for remediation.

The supplier typically owns the pipe from water main to the curb, while the customer owns from the curb to their building.