The City of Wheeling’s Water Department is reminding residents and business owners to complete the Service Line Inventory Survey to help identify properties that may have lead water service lines. The survey is an important part of the City’s efforts to comply with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements and determine the materials used in water service lines throughout the community.

Property owners who have not yet completed the survey are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. The survey is available online at wheelingwv.gov/WaterServiceLineInventory. Those who need a paper copy may request one by calling (304) 234-3849 or emailing water@wheelingwv.gov.

Water Superintendent Lori Siburt explained that a water service line is the pipe that carries water from the water main to a home or business. The survey webpage includes diagrams and instructions to help residents identify their service line material.

“The purpose of this inventory is to identify properties that may have lead water service lines, which were commonly installed in homes and buildings constructed before 1986,” Siburt said. “We need the public’s help to gather this information, so we encourage anyone who has not completed the survey to please take a few minutes to do so.”

The survey involves three basic steps: locating the water service line, identifying the pipe material and reporting the findings through the online survey. Guidance is available on the webpage for those who are unsure how to identify their service line. Renters may also complete the survey or notify their property owner and ask them to participate.

If a property owner identifies a potential lead service line through the survey, the Wheeling Water Department will follow up to discuss available options and next steps.

Although the presence of a lead pipe does not automatically mean a person is being exposed to lead, elevated lead levels can pose serious health risks, particularly for pregnant women and young children. Identifying lead service lines is an important step toward determining where action may be needed.

Siburt noted that the Wheeling Water Department uses a corrosion inhibitor to help prevent lead and other metals from leaching into drinking water. The treatment forms a protective coating inside pipes and plumbing fixtures to reduce the release of these metals. However, identifying and removing lead service lines remains an important long-term measure for reducing potential risks.

Residents and business owners are encouraged to visit wheelingwv.gov/WaterServiceLineInventory to learn more and complete the survey. Questions may be directed to the Wheeling Water Department at (304) 234-3849 or water@wheelingwv.gov.

Additional information about lead in drinking water, testing and ways to reduce exposure is available through the EPA at epa.gov/safewater/lead or by calling the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.