On behalf of the City of Goshen Water Utility, the State of Indiana has contracted with Abonmarche Consultants to excavate potholes, small holes 1 to 2 feet in diameter, to uncover and verify the pipe material of water service lines at selected residences and commercial properties throughout the City.
The City of Goshen is required to submit a water service line inventory to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) by October 16th, 2024, as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) nationwide requirements to identify and remove lead in water systems throughout the United States.
To build its inventory, Goshen Water Utility has used various methods, including an ongoing door-knocking effort to inspect lines connected to water service meters.
Determining the piping materials at the meter only supports material identification from the shut-off valve into a home, while potholing will allow visual inspection on both sides of the shut-off valve.
These field verification results will support statistical modeling to make high-confidence predictions about the materials of service lines that have not yet been verified. Potholing locations were selected based on best practices for representative sampling to use available funds most efficiently.
Potholing will be performed in phases, with the first round expected from late May through June. Properties selected for pothole verification will receive door hangers before excavation.
All work will be completed within the public right-of-way and include same-day site restoration of disturbed areas. No disruption to the customer’s water service is required.
To learn more about the potholing effort and what the City has already done to build its inventory, visit https://leadsafe-goshenindiana.hub.arcgis.com/