Tualatin Confirms Completion of Lead Service Line Inventory to Ensure Safe Drinking Water

October 29, 2024

Tualatin Confirms Completion of Lead Service Line Inventory to Ensure Safe Drinking Water 

Tualatin, OR – The City of Tualatin has completed its lead service line inventory in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule. This rule requires public water systems to conduct inventories of service lines and service line material types in an effort to eliminate the presence of lead in drinking water systems. Service lines are the pipes that connect homes or buildings to the main water line under the street. 

The City is proud to announce that after a thorough inspection of nearly 600 service lines, no lead service lines were identified within the city’s water distribution system. Utilizing an Oregon Health Authority (OHA) approved methodology, Tualatin's service line inventory was completed in September 2024 and submitted to the state, certifying that Tualatin’s water infrastructure is free of lead service lines.  

Ongoing Monitoring for Lead in Drinking Water 

While the use of lead pipes has never been widely used in the Pacific Northwest, the City of Tualatin continues to prioritize the safety of its drinking water through ongoing monitoring. Lead is not naturally present in water, but it can dissolve into water when it comes into contact with lead materials. The most common source of lead material in drinking water systems is contributed by lead solder, which was used in the past to connect/join copper pipes, most often on smaller service lines and in private plumbing systems.    

Oregon banned the use of lead solder in 1986. This means that all Oregon homes built post-1986 do not have lead solder present in their service lines. Homes that were built before 1986 may have lead solder present in their plumbing systems. Additionally, some plumbing fixtures manufactured prior to 2014 may have used brass that contains lead, which can release small amounts of lead into drinking water.  Because the presence of lead is still a possibility, Tualatin actively monitors for lead in the water system, ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements.  Annually, approximately 40-70 homes in Tualatin voluntarily participate in a lead sampling process. These homes have been pre- identified as having a high likelihood of having lead present in their tap water, typically due to the age of the home. All participants are notified of their results, and past sampling rounds have shown compliance with regulatory limits. 

Since April 2022, Tualatin has also benefited from the City of Portland's Corrosion Control Treatment plant, which treats water to make it less corrosive to metals such as lead. This treatment further reduces the risk of lead dissolving into drinking water from plumbing fixtures. 

How Tualatin Residents Can Take Action 

Tualatin residents can take advantage of free lead testing services provided by the Portland Water Bureau. Homes built before the 1986 lead solder ban, or with older plumbing fixtures, are especially encouraged to request a free test kit. Visit www.portland.gov/water/LeadTest to learn more and request a kit. 

For additional information about lead in drinking water, visit the City’s website at https://www.tualatinoregon.gov/publicworks/important-information-about-lead-your-drinking-water