Water customers in St. Louis whose service lines are made of lead or an unknown material can expect to get a letter from the city in November.
Those letters are the first steps the city is taking to comply with a federal rule issued earlier this week that will require all lead service lines to be replaced in 10 years.
Residents who receive the letter will be asked to take an online survey about the pipes that deliver water to their house. It will also include information about how to determine the material of the service line.
The survey will require a valid email address to complete. Individuals who do not have email or internet access will be able to call the water department to answer the survey or for details about determining the service line material.
The city says there are currently 9,000 lead service lines. Another 58,000 are made of an unknown material. It has applied for federal funding that will help residents who want to replace lead service lines cover the cost of the work.
