Lead and Copper

Lead and Copper Rule Revisions

On January 15, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued revisions to the Federal Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). The U.S. EPA’s new Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) strengthen every aspect of the LCR to better protect communities from the impacts of lead exposure. The new LCRR will get the lead out of our nation’s drinking water and empower communities through information.

The LCRR requires community water systems throughout the United States (approx. 4,000 water systems in CA), including the City of Arcata, to conduct an inventory of service lines and determine the material of those lines, which was required to be completed by October 16, 2024

Water Service Line Inventory

As part of compliance requirements with California and EPA's LCRR, the City of Arcata is conducting an inventory of all water service lines through visual field and record verification. The City is happy to report that no lead lines were found in our service area, though many unknown water service line types remain. Those homes that have service lines that are still unknown will be receiving a letter with further instructions on next steps.  

The City would appreciate your help to complete the inventory of water service lines to identify the unknown water service types and you can do this by completing this one-minute survey.

Review the complete Water Service Line Inventory Spreadsheet (PDF). The PDF is a very large file size, so it is recommended you view the linked spreadsheet at 100% and from your desktop PC. 

Lead and Copper Rule for Drinking Water

The LCRR protects the public’s drinking water from metals that can adversely affect public health by requiring water systems to monitor lead and copper levels at the consumers’ taps.

Regulating Agencies

The State Water Resources Control Board, through the Division of Drinking Water (DDW), enforces the California Lead and Copper Rule (CA LCR), which is aligned with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (US EPA’s) Lead and Copper Rule (LCR).

At the City of Arcata Environmental Services Department, water quality is our top priority. We are proud to provide reliable, safe, and clean water that our customers can trust. We are also committed to transparency, and we are always happy to answer any questions that our customers may have about water quality. Questions about the Lead and Copper Rules or the quality of your drinking water can be emailed to leadpipeinfo@cityofarcata.org or you can call (707) 825-2585.