In an ongoing effort to obtain information from city residents about water pipe materials, city officials have issued an open letter asking for assistance. Below is the letter from city Water and Wastewater Superintendent Tom Phelps:
Dear Residents of Batavia,
The City of Batavia is reaching out to request your assistance in an important initiative to ensure the safety and health of our community.
We need your help to identify and replace pipes within our water system, specifically the buried service lines that connect the water mains in the streets to your homes. Regardless of the material your pipe is made of, it is crucial for us to gather this information to protect public health.
In the coming days, you will receive a letter from the City of Batavia Water Department regarding Home Lead Line Testing. We kindly ask that you take a few moments to complete the steps outlined in the letter and report the type of pipe that brings water into your home. Your timely response will greatly assist us in expediting the inventory process of the pipes within our city’s water system.
Additionally, some residents will receive a separate letter from our partner, ElectroScan. Their field crews will need to enter select homes to conduct a survey using a hand-held scanner at the water meter. This survey is expected to take about an hour, during which your water will be temporarily shut off, and your pipes will be flushed before service is restored. Please note that this service is provided free of charge, and no digging will be required. We encourage you to schedule the survey as soon as possible upon receiving the notification.
As part of a nationwide initiative mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all water systems in the country are required to complete an inventory of drinking water pipes from the mains to residences. The goal is to identify and ultimately eliminate any water service laterals containing lead.
For any questions or additional information, please visit our website at https://www.batavianewyork.com/department-of-public-works/pages/lead-service or contact us via email at leadservice@batavianewyork.com.
Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to keeping Batavia a safe and healthy place to live.
