The Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), which is part of the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), was established in 1991. The goal of the LCR is to provide maximum health protection in public drinking water supplies by reducing lead and copper at consumer's taps. The LCR mandates that community water systems, like Santa Rosa, conduct periodic monitoring and initiate corrosion control measures to ensure compliance with the LCR.

In 1994, the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) conducted a corrosion control study that indicated a pH adjustment of the water with sodium hydroxide could reduce the corrosiveness of the water.  Since 1995, SCWA has been using the sodium hydroxide as pH adjustment and it has proven to reduce corrosion of metal pipes.

The City of Santa Rosa monitors for pH and alkalinity every two weeks throughout the year to ensure proper corrosion control levels. We also conduct residential "tap" sampling every three years. Tap sampling is performed by the City's water quality staff at a participating residential customer whose home was constructed between 1982 and 1986; just before lead in solder was banned by an amendment to the SDWA in 1986. 2007 was the last time lead and copper tap samples were taken at 50 residences in Santa Rosa. All sample results were below the Action Levels for lead (15 parts per billion) and copper (1300 parts per billion). The next round of Lead and Copper sampling will take place during the summer of 2010.

More information can be found at the EPA site: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead/index.html and

California Department of Public Health at:  http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/drinkingwater/Pages/Chemicalcontaminants.aspx

Sonoma County Water Agency at: http://www.sonomacountywater.org/lower.php?url=water-supply

Santa Rosa's most recent Water Quality Report can be found here.