The City of Wheeling’s Water Department is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to create a lead service line inventory. While some information was gathered in the last several months via a survey, water department officials are asking those who did not complete the survey to provide information on the service lines into their homes. Water customers will be receiving letters in the coming days with details on steps that need to be taken to fulfill the request.

Water Superintendent Lori Siburt explained the service line is the water line that runs from the meter into your home or from the property line to your home.

“The water department has created an inventory of city-owned service lines. The letters will tell the customers about the service lines as we know them and we are asking residents to give us information on their portion of the service line to their house,” she said, noting the water department must submit the inventory every year, so this is an ongoing process. “The City is committed to replacing the lead and galvanized service lines on the city side at 20 percent per year until they are all replaced.”

For those residents who would like to provide the necessary information via the survey, it is available on the City’s website at https://www.wheelingwv.gov/WaterServiceLineInventory. A hard copy of the survey can be obtained by calling (304) 234-3849 or by emailing water@wheelingwv.gov. 

Siburt said there is a simple three-step process for completing the inventory which includes locating your service line, identifying the water service line material and reporting the results. The survey webpage also provides some steps that property owners can take to identify the water service line material if they are unsure. She noted that having a lead pipe in your home does not necessarily equate to lead exposure. However, action is needed because elevated levels of lead can be hazardous, especially for pregnant women and young children with the best solution being to remove the lead service line.

“The Wheeling Water Department uses an anti-corrosion chemical that prevents lead and other metals in the pipes from leaching into the water. What this corrosion inhibitor does is coat the inside of lead pipes and fixtures with a thin, protective layer that reduces leaching and flaking,” she said. 

Those with questions about the service line inventory should contact the Water Department at (304) 234-3849 or by emailing water@wheelingwv.gov.