I Have 'Unknown Water Service Materials' in Torrington, Now What?

Did you receive an interesting letter from Aquarion Water Company this week regarding your water service line? Me too. I live in Torrington and I'm a customer in the Torrington Regional System near downtown. At first glance, my eyes went to "Heath Effects of Lead', and thought the worst, but this may not be the case.

According to the Notice of Unknown Water Service Materials I received in the mail at my home, Aquarion is required to document all water service line materials in their system, and identify any lead or lead containing materials in the system to the U.S. EPA. I noticed Aquarion trucks over the past few weeks in and around our condo complex and around town, they were out doing service line inventories recently, and the latest survey has indicated that some or all of the water service line materials between the water main and my property are of "unknown material classification", and unknown means that the service line may be lead.

Photo by Large Dave

Aquarion provided a link to a survey to help determine what type of pipe material my service line was made of, with photographic examples, and a way to submit a photo. Based on what I saw, I believe that I have copper pipes inside my home, but I'm in a condo, I can't find where the water line comes into our building, which was built in 1986.

Aquarion provides plenty of links for more info on the health effects of lead, how to replace a lead service line, and reducing my exposure. Aquarion also reassures all of us customers that the water being delivered to our homes does not contain lead, and it's been tested for over 100 compounds. What I will do in the interim is follow Aquarion's suggestions:

Always use cold water for drinking and cooking
Run my faucet for 3-5 minutes anytime that I haven't used water in my home for several hours, and it's especially important if I've been away for the weekend
Remove and clean the screen/aerator of my faucets

Lead dissolved in water cannot be seen, tasted, or smelled. Take the survey, if you receive the notice like I did.

10 Cheapest Places to Live in Connecticut in 2024

Who Would You Pick for a Mt. Rushmore of Connecticut Musicians?

Let's play a game, who would you say are the greatest singer/songwriters to ever call Connecticut home? Ok, now you have to choose four, out of all of the musicians that have ever lived here for our version of Mt. Rushmore. Who would you choose?