Lead and Copper Rule Revisions and Improvements

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is actively implementing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) updated Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) and Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) to enhance public health protections by minimizing lead and copper levels in drinking water.

Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR): Finalized by the EPA on December 16, 2021, the LCRR mandates that all community and non-transient non-community public water systems comply with new requirements by October 16, 2024.
Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI): Announced on October 8, 2024, the LCRI strengthens key components of the LCRR, aiming to further reduce exposure to lead in drinking water.

By October 16, 2024, all affected water systems must:

Submit an initial inventory of all service lines, categorizing them as:
- Lead” where the service line is made of lead.
- “Galvanized Requiring Replacement” where a galvanized service line is or was at any time downstream of a lead service line or is currently downstream of a “Lead Status Unknown” service line. If the water system is unable to demonstrate that the galvanized service line was never downstream of a lead service line, it must presume there was an upstream lead service line.
- “Non-lead” where the service line is determined through an evidence-based record, method, or technique not to be lead or galvanized requiring replacement. The water system may classify the actual material of the service line (i.e., plastic or copper) as an alternative to classifying it as “Non-lead.”
- “Lead Status Unknown” where the service line material is not known to be lead, galvanized requiring replacement, or a non-lead service line, such as where there is no documented evidence supporting material classification.

For more detailed information, visit TCEQ's officlal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions Improvements page.