City taking part in effort to address lead water lines

The Albert Lea Utilities Department is taking part in a federal and state effort to reduce lead in drinking water. New federal rules require the City of Albert Lea to develop an inventory to identify lines made of lead or galvanized material. These lines will then need replacing.

Service lines are underground pipes that connect homes and businesses with water mains. Galvanized material is a metal coated with zinc to prevent rusting and corrosion. Galvanized material may absorb lead.

Lead service lines are a concern because exposure to this metal may cause serious health effects. The City of Albert Lea is not aware of any health effects related to its drinking water. The city must test its drinking water for contaminants every year and the water meets all standards set by the Minnesota Department of Health, including lead.

Residents can also take simple steps to reduce lead in their drinking water:

 

      • Use a filter
      • Let water run to flush the home’s pipes before using the water for drinking or cooking
      • Use cold water from the tap for drinking, cooking and making baby formula
      • Clean the screen on faucets, called aerators, to prevent lead particles trapped in the screen from getting into drinking water.

A staff member with the Albert Lea Utilities Department checks a water service line to see if it’s made of lead. The city is taking part in a federal and state effort to replace lead water lines to ensure safe drinking water.

Multi-year project underway
Lead was commonly used for water service lines in the early 1900s. The federal government banned the use of lead materials in new plumbing systems in 1986. Property owners and the City of Albert Lea have replaced many of the lines over the past several years. The Minnesota Department of Health is implementing a multi-year program to help ensure all lead lines are replaced.

The Albert Lea Utilities Department plans to use a $1.5 million grant from the Minnesota Department of Health to identify and replace lead lines. To inform property owners of the upcoming project, the city mailed notices to property owners with water lines known to be lead or galvanized material that need replacement. The city also mailed notices to property owners with lines of unknown material that the city will need to verify whether made of lead. The city will mail additional notices to affected property owners when starting the project.

For more information

      • Call the Albert Lea Utilities Department at 507-377-4377.
      • Check the status of your property’s service line by visiting this online map tool and searching for your address.
      • Follow the “City of Albert Lea-City Hall” on Facebook or Instagram, or subscribe to the free weekly email newsletter, The Week-Lea. The City will provide communitywide updates on this project on social media and in the newsletter.
      • Read Albert Lea’s 2023 Drinking Water Report.

Additional resources

Minnesota Department of Health:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: