CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia American Water is on the hunt for lead as “potholing” efforts are underway by the utility to identify and replace lead and certain galvanized water lines in the Charleston and Huntington areas.
The project is part of operations by West Virginia American Water to comply with upcoming EPA regulations, with crews going around the area to find lines and see if they are made of certain materials.
“We want to get about five feet away from the meter and expose what that water line is,” senior project engineer Levi Filsinger told MetroNews.
With the regulations that are on the way, West Virginia American Water is attempting to get out ahead and determine which lines, if any, need replaced to match the guidelines. If lead lines are found, the utility will furnish the replacement.
“Because of the EPA regulation, by 2037, if it does happen to be lead or require replacement because it was downstream of lead and it’s galvanized, which is the GRR, in that situation, American Water would actually pay to have the water line replaced,” Filsinger said.
Public notices of this utility work are posted by American Water seven days in advance of it beginning in a given area. Filsinger said if residents are concerned with crews digging in their yards, there is another option to check lines.
“If we’re in the area, and we put up our flyers a week ahead, and you don’t want us to dig in the yard, come out and talk to our crew. We’ll send a team of two in, and they can identify the water main inside, but they have to be able to get to the point where it enters the house,” he said.
According to Filsinger, American Water is doing its best to conduct as much work as possible within the public right-of-way. If there is a dispute over a crew’s ability to work, they’ll work to find another option.
“If somebody has an objection to our being there or being there right there at the border between public property and private property, by all means, talk to our crews. We won’t dig, but eventually we do have to identify those service lines,” Filsinger said.
Currently, potholing operations are focused on areas believed to have older lines that predate changes to other materials like plastic. Despite this, it seems there isn’t much concern being raised yet.
“We are focusing on older areas that we think there’s the potential for lead, but to be completely honest, we’ve been doing this for three weeks now, and we haven’t found any lead,” Filsinger said.
Potholing by West Virginia American Water is planned to continue into 2026 with the goal of making any necessary replacements in 2027.
