Lead & Copper Rule

Osawatomie's Water Quality

The City of Osawatomie takes great pride and care in treating our community's drinking water. Due to diligent testing and monitoring, there is no concern with lead and copper in the water that is produced and delivered to our customers. Our water treatment and distribution team works hard every day to produce and provide high quality drinking water for all residents and commercial customers, and a history of our quality can be found in the Consumer Confidence Report that is published yearly.

The Lead & Copper Rule

The Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) is a federal regulation established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect public health and reduce exposure to lead and copper in drinking water. It sets action levels and requirements for monitoring and control. The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes and brass or bronze faucets and fixtures. Learn more about the Lead and Copper rule at the EPA's lead and copper page and information about the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) established in 2024. 

Recent Revisions

While the City of Osawatomie is meeting all current regulations, amendments to the nationwide Lead & Copper Rule added new requirements related to lead and galvanized service lines on the private property side. Due to these new rules and regulations, you may have been asked to sample your water or visually inspect your water service lines as part of the City’s inventory of public and private service lines in compliance with this rule.

City Action

The City of Osawatomie worked throughout the year to identify all lead service lines, both public and private, by October 2024 as required by LCR. To help develop, implement, and manage the necessary administrative and technical aspects of this new rule, City officials published a public Request for Proposals (RFP) in September 2023. After review, Osawatomie City Council approved awarding the service contract to 120 Water. Working with 120 Water, City technicians surveyed properties and compiled the required inventory. Residents may have noticed City workers in their yards or marking service lines. Workers may have photographed your house number as part of the inventory process.

As of October 1, 2024, the EPA mandated Lead and Copper service line inventory has been completed by 120 Water and the City of Osawatomie. The findings were as follows:

• 371 Lead Service Lines, 45 Unknown, and 1 Galvanized
  • These are either on the city-owned side, property owner side, or in some cases both
• These lines represent 24% of the total services within the City of Osawatomie's distribution system.

City officials will be sending out notification letters to the resident or property owner who were identified as having lead, galvanized or unknown service lines. The City will be offering one (1) free lead test for those who receive a notification letter. If you have received a notification letter and would like to schedule your free lead test, please complete this form.

What Can I Do?

Identify if you have lead service lines: This can be done by contacting a licensed plumber or using the EPA’s guide “Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead | US EPA.”

Stay informed: Learn about lead by watching this short YouTube video “Together, Let’s Get the Lead Out”. Keep up to date with the latest news about Lead & Copper by visiting KDHE’s Lead and Copper rule page.