Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Natural Resources › NR 800 - Environmental Protection - Water Supply › Chapter NR 809 - Safe Drinking Water › Subchapter II - Control of Lead and Copper › Section NR 809.545 - Lead service line replacement requirements

Current through June 24, 2024
(1) GENERAL. Water
				  suppliers for public water systems that fail to meet the lead action level in
				  tap samples taken pursuant to s.
				  NR
				  809.547(4) (b), after installing
				  corrosion control or source water treatment, or both, whichever sampling occurs
				  later, shall replace lead service lines in accordance with the requirements of
				  this section. If a public water system is in violation of s.
				  NR
				  809.542 or for failure 809.544 to install source water
				  or corrosion control treatment, the department may require the water supplier
				  to commence lead service line replacement under this section after the date by
				  which the water supplier was required to conduct monitoring under s.
				  NR
				  809.547(4) (b) has passed.
(2) RATE AND SCHEDULE FOR SERVICE LINE
				  REPLACEMENT.
(a) A water supplier shall
				  replace annually at least 7% of the initial number of lead service lines in its
				  distribution system. The initial number of lead service lines is the number of
				  lead lines in place at the time the replacement program begins. The water
				  supplier shall identify the initial number of lead service lines in its
				  distribution system, including an identification of the portions owned by the
				  public water system, based on a materials evaluation, including the evaluation
				  required under s.
				  NR
				  809.547(1) and relevant legal
				  authorities, such as contracts and local ordinances regarding the portion owned
				  by the public water system. The first year of lead service line replacement
				  shall begin on the first day following the end of the monitoring period in
				  which the action level was exceeded under sub. (1). If monitoring is required
				  annually or less frequently, the end of the monitoring period is September 30
				  of the calendar year in which the sampling occurs unless the department has
				  established an alternate monitoring period.
(b) Any water supplier resuming a lead
				  service line replacement program, after the cessation of its lead service line
				  replacement program, as allowed by sub. (6), shall update the public water
				  system's inventory of lead service lines to include those sites that were
				  previously determined not to require replacement through the sampling provision
				  under sub. (3). The water supplier shall then divide the updated number of
				  remaining lead service lines by the number of remaining years in the program to
				  determine the number of lines that must be replaced per year. Seven percent
				  lead service line replacement is based on a 15-year replacement program, so,
				  for example, water suppliers resuming lead service line replacement after
				  previously conducting two years of replacement would divide the updated
				  inventory by 13. For those water suppliers for public water systems that have
				  completed a 15-year lead service line replacement program, the department will
				  determine a schedule for replacing or retesting lines that were previously
				  tested out under the replacement program when the public water system exceeds
				  the action level again after completing a 15-year replacement
				  program.