FAQs

Lead contamination in drinking water has been a major concern for Americans for decades, but became even more so after the water crisis in Flint, Michigan came to light in 2014. The EPA’s federal lead and copper program outlines a plan for cities to make their water safer for its customers. This program has been implemented by the EPA to help protect the drinking water throughout the country. This program includes the identification and replacement of lead service lines, prioritizing school and childcare facilities, and communities that may be disadvantaged.

Spanish Fork City has always been ahead of the curve by continually conducting widespread tap water compliance sampling, including testing for lead and copper, E Coli, and other contaminants that are hazardous to the health of our customers. Additionally, Spanish Fork continually monitors water quality and provide public outreach so that our customers can be confident they are drinking clean and safe water.

Spanish Fork City has created a detailed inventory of the pipes used to bring water to our customers. This inventory details the types of material that the pipes are made of. This can be viewed as an interactive map that allows customers to find out what the pipes are made of in their homes, places of business, schools, churches, and childcare facilities. We are also asking that our water customers fill out our Lead Pipe Verification Form to help us inventory the internal pipes of every structure.

By filling out this form, Spanish Fork City will be better able to verify and ensure that our community does indeed have safe drinking water and help us continue to protect this precious resource for generations to come.

A service line is the pipe that brings water to your home or business from the city’s water main. The city service line is from the main water line to the water meter. The customer side is from the other side of the water meter to the structure. Spanish Fork City is currently replacing lead and galvanized city-side services and main lines.

NPR has put together a Find Lead Pipes in Your Home website to help you determine what type of pipes you have in your home.

For the most updated information on the EPA's lead and copper regulations, please visit the Utah Department of Environmental Quality  Lead and Copper Rule page.

Spanish Fork City is currently verifying all water service lines to our schools and are working with the Nebo School District to make sure that we are in compliance with the EPA’s current regulations.

There are two ways to see if our community's schools and any other buildings have safe pipes and are lead-safe.

1. To see if the service lines to the schools and other buildings are lead-safe, please refer to our Lead Service Line map and select the location to see its details.
2. For more detailed information on what is being done in our schools, contact the Nebo School District @ question-comment@nebo.edu tel: 801-354-7400.

The Nebo School District has done extensive testing for lead and copper at all school facilities. In compliance with the EPA’s new Lead and Copper Rules, they are currently replacing any piping, fittings, and fixtures that do not comply with the EPA’s standards.

In order to be sure that our entire community is safe, the Spanish Fork City Water Department is verifying all water service lines, connections, and water mains. By voluntarily submitting the survey with your home's pipe material type we can verify that all of our water is lead safe. This information will be added to our interactive pipe inventory map so that you can verify that your home's water is lead safe. No personal information will be displayed to the public. If you determine that the pipes in your structure are unsafe our water department can help you find a solution to making your pipes lead safe. 

There are many potential health effects of lead exposure, including high blood pressure, memory loss, headaches, kidney damage, learning & behavior problems, and more.

Lead can affect almost every organ and system in your body. Young children and infants are particularly vulnerable to lead. A dose of lead that would have little effect on an adult can have a significant effect on a child.

Lead can enter drinking water when pipes and plumbing fixtures that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content.

Lead in a water line typically comes from things like a lead service line, lead solder (solder made or installed before 1986 contained high lead levels), galvanized pipe (lead particles can attach to its surface), or other lead pipes.