Questions? We are here to help
(423) 877-3513
Questions? We are here to help
(423) 877-3513
Questions? We are here to help
(423) 877-3513
Hixson Utility is proud to offer our customers clean water through a network of 460 miles of lead-free water main lines. HUD has also determined we do NOT have lead in any utility-owned service lines. However, before the latter part of the 20th century, private plumbing was often installed using a variety of materials. Lead pipes began to be banned by many states in the late 1980s, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the first Lead and Copper Rule in 1991. This guideline has undergone revisions since, but continues to be the standard public water utilities use to ensure the drinking water we deliver to your home or business is safe. But homes built before 1986 could still be at risk due to outdated infrastructure.
As part of a mandate from the federal government, HUD is reaching out to any customers we have identified as potentially being at risk for pipes, fittings, and faucets that contain lead. A letter has been mailed to the affected property owners. The EPA is asking all utilities to help gather information to both see who could be affected, and also to help utilities create a database of these at-risk properties going forward and be able to provide information to correct any issues.
Have questions? Check the FAQ below for more information. If you unsure whether you received a letter from HUD, you may use the map to see if your property is affected. Clicking the symbol representing your meter will show a pop-up with our current status of your property, and a link to the EPA survey. Properties not shown on the map have NOT been identified as at-risk properties at this time.
To view a copy of the letter sent to affected residents, click here. If you're viewing this page on a phone or other mobile device, you might find our mobile-friend survey to be easier to complete.
Hixson Utility is conducting this lead and copper survey as part of a mandate from the federal government. While HUD maintains records of all water main lines in our service area, we do not have information on private service lines and interior plumbing. The EPA is requiring all water providers to gather and submit this information as part of the EPA Lead and Copper Rule. The purpose is to determine how much lead service line is in use across the country, to provide education about this risk to property owners, and to provide resources if property owners need to replace lead lines.
Lead contamination is a serious health issue. No safe blood levels of lead have been identified for babies and young children, whose bodies can absorb lead more easily than older children and adults. However, lead can be harmful to all humans even at low exposure levels. Lead that has been absorbed or ingested can cause problems in bones, teeth, blood, liver, kidneys, and the brain, while also increasing blood pressure and the risk of heart disease. The EPA has set the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water to zero.
Lead pipes or plumbing fixtures can corrode, which could cause the material to dissolve or flake into the water. Lead can also be present in solder, brass fixtures, faucets, and pipe fittings, especially in buildings constructed before 1986. Lead is odorless, tasteless, and invisible.
A common misconception for some customers is that all materials delivering the water to your faucet are the responsibility of the Utility to maintain. Hixson Utility owns, operates, and maintains all infrastructure that brings the water to your meter. However, past the meter (between the meter and your structure), all plumbing would have been installed privately - in other words, HUD has no record of materials put in the ground. Anything on the customer side of the meter is the customer's responsibility to maintain.
If in November of 2024 you received a letter from Hixson Utility, we have identified your property as potentially having been built before lead materials were banned and before current guidelines were put into place. As such, it is important for you to conduct a thorough inspection of your plumbing. Once you have successfully identified the materials used, the EPA asks that you please fill out our survey so that HUD can maintain this record moving forward.
An excellent step-by-step guide on how to identify lead pipes can be found on the EPA website.
Once you have completed your inspection, please complete the survey using the link, or by finding and clicking on your property in the map above.