The City of Bend Drinking Water Service Line Inventory project is another example of our commitment to ensure safe, reliable, high-quality drinking water for our community.

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

The City of Bend's ongoing work to provide safe, reliable drinking water includes monitoring and compliance with state and federal rules and regulations.

Federal rules intended to reduce exposure to lead, a toxic metal, in drinking water required the City to inventory service lines (pipes that connect homes and businesses to larger water main pipes) and report findings in October 2024. 

WHAT'S THE OUTCOME?

The Bend Water Department has determined it has no lead (or galvanized-requiring-replacement) service lines in its distribution system. This includes any privately-owned or customer-owned service lines.  

How did it work? 

In order to replace known lead service lines within ten years, the City first inventoried its own service lines (from City facilities to a private property’s meter) as well as privately owned lines (from a meter to a home or business) to see if any Bend properties have lead or galvanized-requiring-replacement service lines.

The City gathered information about service lines, both private and publicly owned. City-owned service lines that deliver water to the property were inspected and inventoried. The City then inventoried a number of privately owned service lines. This approved statistical approach required the City to inspect only about 370 private water lines to gather sufficient information to determine if any lead service lines are present in our service area.

INSPECTING PRIVATE PROPERTY

The City or its contractors contacted a sample of roughly 370 private homes and businesses to request access to the property and to schedule an inspection of those service lines. 

Am I required to comply with the inspection request?

City of Bend customers were not mandated to provide access to their private waterlines; however, it was a good opportunity to determine if your lines pose any health hazards.

REPORTING

The City will report findings back to properties that were inspected after completing the inspections. If materials requiring replacement had been found, the response would have included replacement and financing options and other helpful information for the property owner. 

If Lead had been reported, then what?

If lead had been reported in the city lines, then the City would have notified those people served by the lines within 30 days after completing the initial inventory. For new customers, a notice would be provided at the time of the water service initiation.

TIMEFRAME

The timeframe is subject to change but is expected to be as follows:

SELECTION

The City of Bend uses an approved statistically sound method endorsed by the Oregon Health Authority to select 370 homes and businesses for the inventory project randomly. The data pool will include service lines throughout the City of Bend water customer base. 

THINGS TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND 

What is a service line?

• A service line is the water pipe that brings the water from the water provider's larger water main pipe onto your property and into your home or business.

What is the water main?

• A water main is a larger piper belonging to the water purveyor that distributes water to the service lines. It is generally below ground and often under the street.

Who's responsible for repairs or replacement of the service line? 

• The property owner is responsible for their service line. A general rule of thumb is that anything past the water purveyor's water meter is the property owner's responsibility.

If lead had been found on my service line would the City replace my line?