Aquidneck Island residents can expect to hear a knock on their doors this summer, as Newport Water Division crews go door-to-door to help identify lead service lines.
The initiative is part of the city’s Get the Lead Out program, which aims to identify privately owned lead pipes that service homes and businesses, according to a release by the city on Tuesday.
Officials said that while Newport’s advanced water treatment process removes any trace of lead from the water supply, elevated levels of lead can still leach from lead service lines and plumbing. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule, which was passed in 1978, requires water providers to inventory service lines and identify any lead content.
Historically, the responsibility for maintaining service lines has been split between utility companies and customers, with Newport Water Division responsible for water lines from its public water mains to external shut-off valves, while customers are responsible for service lines that run under their property and into homes and businesses.
Due to the change in responsibility, it is now necessary for Newport to reach out to residents to help identify service lines that may be lead.
Newport Water Division crews will be canvassing neighborhoods in Newport and Middletown throughout the summer, typically between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. during work weeks and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays, according to the release.
Property owners are asked to note that Newport Water Division crews will be wearing identifying uniforms and driving clearly marked vehicles, officials said.
Anyone with questions or concerns can contact Newport Water Division at 401-845-5600.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
