New data released on public water systems in Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – We continue to monitor lead water lines in Kentucky.

The state Energy and Environment Cabinet provides us with updated numbers.

The Environmental Protection Agency has given all water companies a deadline of Oct. 16, requiring them to provide complete material lists for their service lines.

This includes both lead lines and lines that water companies simply don’t know about.

In continuation WKYT InvestigationWe can now see how many public water systems have already met the requirements.

In Kentucky, 391 public water systems were required to submit initial material inventories for service lines, according to the EEC.

As of this week, the Water Resources Division has received 98.5% of those supplies.

They document the material from which the utility lines are made, that is, the pipes that connect the main line to the house.

Many of the state’s water pipes are made of “unknown material.” Some you can even lead.

In the next 30 days, the Kentucky Cabinet of Energy and Environment says most Kentuckians will receive a notice from their water company telling them their lines are either unknown, lead or galvanized iron.

The EEC is now asking homeowners with pipes of unknown material to begin working directly with their plumbing companies to identify those lines.

Because lead pipes can break, and when they do, they can contaminate the water flowing through them.

WKYT asked the Water Department: WHO is part of the 1.5% that is currently missing, but we have not yet received a response.