Thank you for participating in this year's Lead & Copper Sample Collection. These samples are being collected to determine the lead and copper levels in your tap water. This sampling effort is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and The New York State Department of Health, and is being accomplished through the cooperation of homeowners and residents.
If you need a replacement copy of the sampling form click here.
The Department of Health has implemented a strict schedule in which the samples must be collected and sent to a lab for testing. Please collect your sample as soon as possible and contact the Water Department at 315-785-7845 when the sample is ready for pick-up. Place the sample kit in the same location the kit was delivered to assist water department staff.
In order for your sample to be processed the bottle must be filled to the 1000ml line and the collection form must be signed (by sample collector) along with the dates and times the water was last used and when the sample was collected (at least 6 hours after last use).
Results from this monitoring effort and information about lead will be provided to you as soon as practical but no later than 30 days after the system learns of the taps monitoring results. However, if excessive lead and/or copper levels are found in your sample, immediate notification will be provided (usually 1-2 working days after the system learns of the results).
Call Aaron Harvill or Gordon Cronk at 315-785-7845 if you have any questions regarding these instructions.
If you would like to learn more about lead in drinking water please visit www.watertown-ny.gov/lead
Lead and Copper Sample Collection Instructions:
1. WAIT at least 6 hours before collecting sample. There must be a minimum of 6 hours during which there is no water used from the tap where the sample will be collected. Do not intentionally flush the water line before the start of the 6 hour period. We recommend sampling first thing in the morning or upon returning home in the evening.
2. FILL sample bottle from a kitchen or bathroom cold-water faucet to the line marked “1000-mL”. Please collect a water sample from a kitchen or bathroom tap that has been used for drinking and is not attached to a water softener or a point of use filter, if possible. Do not remove the aerator prior to sampling. Place the opened sample bottle below the faucet prior to turning on the water. Open the cold water tap as you would do to fill a glass of water. Fill the sample bottle to the line marked “1000-mL” and turn off the water. Tightly cap the sample bottle. Complete the sample bottle label and place in the bag provided.
3. COMPLETE the information at the bottom of the sheet and return with sample. If any plumbing repairs or replacement has been done in the home since the previous sampling event, note this information on this sheet. Also, if your sample was collected from a tap with a water softener, note this as well.
