In compliance with the recently strengthened Lead and Copper Rule, Charlotte Water embarked on a comprehensive, multi-year effort to increase lead testing, inventory pipe materials, and educate customers on how to reduce lead risk. The scope of work included performing test hole excavations on both sides of residential and commercial water meters, typically 3–4 feet from each meter box, to visually confirm service line materials and record findings for inventory reporting.
Our team was responsible for all aspects of the field investigation process, including utility coordination, site safety, excavation, and data documentation. All findings were recorded using Survey123, with geolocated photos and field notes for each location. This project involved subsurface utility vacuum excavation services, Quality Level A, at three hundred locations, which included coordination with property owners, permitting, determination of the material of each service line, and confirmation of the vertical positions of utilities.
One of the primary challenges we faced involved locating and identifying plastic service lines, which do not carry an electromagnetic (EM) signal. To overcome this, we modified our field approach by carefully excavating within the water meter box to visually confirm the line material when no EM signal could be detected.
Another challenge came when some service lines were misidentified based on initial visual, scratch, or magnet tests. Our team implemented lead swab testing as a secondary verification method in these cases. This ensured that all inconclusive results were confirmed with chemical verification, eliminating uncertainty and improving data accuracy across the project. Using these methods, our team provided accurate data that directly supported the client’s Lead and Copper Rule Revision compliance objectives.