Was your home built in or before 1979? 

While lead and copper water lines were outlawed in West Jordan in 1979 due to health concerns of lead in the water supply, it’s possible that homes built before then contain lead or copper lines with the potential to harm residents.

“We're lucky. We're a newer city. And so this isn't something that most people have to worry about, but if you own an older home, you'll want to be careful,” Greg Davenport said, West Jordan public utility director.

But “just because you were built before 1979,” he added, it “doesn't mean that you automatically have lead or a copper problem.”

For the last month, West Jordan’s Utilities Department has been giving public notice with door signs inviting residents to take a survey and look at their water lines before October. 

“We're trying to make it as easy as possible so that we can get the best information possible from our residents and back to our residents,” Davenport said, adding that the city can provide testing kits and walk residents through the process, and even direct residents in the direction of receiving grants if necessary.

As of mid-June, no lead pipes have been found in the mainlines from the city, Davenport said, but the city is working to ensure that no private household lines do. 

Marie Magers, West Jordan’s public information officer, said the city’s efforts were spurred in response to a larger push from the federal government to continue with a plan launched in 2021.

Three years ago, the Biden-Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Plan created a partnership on the local, state and federal levels “to deliver clean drinking water, replace lead pipes and remediate lead paint” before 2031. 

Questions on the survey ask for the waterline material, install date, the resident’s source of information and a photo of the line, and provides more information on how to determine that information. 

Residents answering the questions on the survey will help West Jordan create a map of lead pipes mandated by the federal government and help the city plan for the replacement of any lead or copper water lines that could contaminate the water and hurt residents’ health.

Davenport and his team are working to map 26,000 service laterals throughout the city before the October deadline, which is not a small task. 

“There are plenty of resources available for people who are concerned about this, so they should call us if they're concerned, or check our website, or check the website for the EPA,” Davenport said. “No one needs to be worried because they don't have information.”

And if lead water lines are found, Davenport said not to worry about cost. 

“The federal government's taking it very seriously, and there will be grants available for people if they have a problem that they can apply for after this survey is done,” he said. λ