Cary monitors for lead and copper every 3 years as required under the EPA’s Lead and Cooper Rule. Since the Town’s population is greater than 100,000 people, a minimum of 50 homes must be monitored for lead and copper levels during each round of testing.

The Town currently has 75 homes identified as candidate locations for compliance monitoring:

1. 60 of these sites were selected in 1992 based on homeowner surveys that revealed date of construction. The homes were constructed between 1982 and 1987 and were approved for sampling by NC Public Water Supply.
2. 15 additional special sites were added in 2003 by NC Public Water Supply as part of on-going monitoring of the problem area discovered in March of that year. The homes in the problem area were constructed in the 1970s.

Testing of treated water within the Town’s water distribution system has consistently found extremely low levels and most often levels are below analytical detection limits.

Background

In March 2003, the Town was notified by Wake County that a home near downtown had been tested for lead as part of the routine process for establishing a daycare facility at the location. The tests revealed lead levels above the Environmental Protection Agency’s action level. Further testing by Town staff revealed similar lead levels in several neighboring residences.

An Action Plan was developed by the Town working in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Division of Environmental Health, Public Water Supply Section staff.  The plan included improving water flow in the affected part of the distribution system, replacement of service lines at some residences, alteration of treatment strategies at the Cary/Apex WTF and a comprehensive monitoring program to evaluate the efforts for mitigation of the problem. Bottled water was supplied to affected residents while the mitigation program was conducted.

Compliance testing in late summer 2003 and subsequent special testing in the affected area revealed that the Town’s efforts have been successful in addressing the problem.

More Details

The Town first conducted lead and copper testing in 1994. Annual testing was conducted through 1997, at which time the State granted the Town “reduced monitoring” status.  This status was granted based on test results from 1994-1997 that showed low levels of lead and copper in the homes where compliance monitoring was conducted.  Since 1997, the Town has conducted compliance monitoring in 2000 and 2003.  The Town has maintained compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule since the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility opened.

Recent discussions with the State indicate that seven to 10 of the special sites added in 2003 will be eliminated from the compliance monitoring scheduled for late 2006 based on the review of data which shows low lead levels well below the regulatory action level.

All other compliance monitoring locations will be reviewed for date of construction and only homes constructed during the years of 1983, 1984 and 1985 will be used for future compliance monitoring, according to new guidance received from Public Water Supply.

Additionally, Town staff is currently working to identify potential candidate sites in Morrisville that do meet the site selection criteria to be included in the Town’s monitoring plan.