Blog Archives

The City of Bloomington Utilities Releases Water Service Line Inventory

This article was originally published on The City of Bloomington website. The City of Bloomington Utilities (CBU) has released a water service line inventory in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) guidelines for the updated Lead & Copper Rule. The service line inventory is available through 120Water, […]

What the LCRI says about unknown management

With the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) released on Oct. 8, water systems have updated requirements for managing service lines with unknown materials. In this blog post, we’ll break down those requirements. Let’s first define what an unknown service line is. In the initial inventory submission due in October 2024, water systems were allowed […]

Weighted model, regression, or machine learning for water mains: how do they stack up?

The American Water Works Association’s M77 manual “Condition Assessment of Water Mains” defines risk as: Risk = (Likelihood of failure) * (Consequence of failure) For a likelihood of failure (LoF) analysis, the manual recommends using a weighted model. The manual also notes that predictive modeling, which we define as machine learning models, can be used to […]

Predictive modeling for water main condition assessments: M77 manual guidance

Let’s face it: reactive water infrastructure management isn’t working. By waiting for water mains to break before taking action, utilities risk high, unanticipated costs, public disruption, safety concerns, and loss of community trust. So, what does it look like to move from reactive to proactive when it comes to water main management? Proactive water main […]

Esri’s ArcGIS Utility Network Solution: why we recommend it & how we can help

We all want to make more data driven decisions, but it can often be tough to effectively use the data you’ve already got (let alone enhance it with predictive modeling or other tools). Two of the biggest data obstacles we see when we start working with new customers are non-standardized data sets and difficulty integrating […]

A quick guide to LCRI compliance

The EPA released the long-anticipated Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) on Oct. 8. This new guidance provides more specific requirements for water systems as it relates to water testing, unknown management and lead line replacements. Below, we give a quick breakdown of the new rule in several key areas: What’s the difference between the […]

How increased precipitation impacts water main breaks (and how predictive modeling can help)

With communities across North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia still reeling and cleaning up from the recent Hurricane Helene, alongside shifting hurricane patterns and intensity in the past several seasons, we’ve been thinking a lot about heavy rain and changing weather patterns. While factors like pipe age, material, and soil conditions are commonly understood to impact […]

LSL replacement strategy: 7 questions to jumpstart the LSL replacement planning process

With the arrival of the EPA’s Oct 16 deadline for initial Service Line Inventories and the release of the new Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), water systems are now required to create a replacement plan for their lead service lines (LSLs) and galvanized-requiring-replacement (GRR) lines. LSL/GRR replacement is a daunting, expensive, yearslong project for […]

Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI): a shift to mandatory service line replacement within 10 years

On October 8, 2024, the EPA released the new Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). The LCRI is anchored on President Biden’s commitment to “replace every lead pipe in the country within 10 years.” The LCRI introduces a host of new compliance requirements related to lead service line (LSL) replacements, unknown management, tap sampling, and […]

The Oct 16 deadline is here! Now what?

We talk a lot about ‘compliance’ but the reality is that compliance is complicated and changes over time. This series breaks down compliance requirements across the LCR and the proposed LCRI to help you understand the who, what, and when of compliance. We’ve been talking about October 16, 2024 for years…and it’s finally here. Initial Service […]

Why LeadOut Map matters now

BlueConduit recently launched LeadOut Map, the first and only educational tool that provides the most complete picture of lead in drinking water, including predictions of where lead pipes may lie. With the launch of LeadOut, we’re taking a moment to reflect on BlueConduit’s history – how a group of data scientists became experts at, and […]

Ready for LSL replacements?: 7 key datasets to get you started

With initial service line inventories complete or nearly complete, water systems with lead and GRR are turning their attention to replacement planning. The upcoming LCRI guidance is expected to outline timeline and requirements for replacement planning (among other requirements). It is also expected to include a deadline for the submission of an initial replacement plan, […]

Cost implications of unknown SLs

The October LCRR inventory deadline is almost here, and while water systems are heavily invested in ensuring their Inventories are compliant and submitted to their regulators on time, there will be a lot of work that still needs to be done starting Oct. 17. As we’ve mentioned before, a water system’s Inventory is compliant as […]

What’s the difference between AI and Machine Learning (ML)?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is huge right now, and everyone is talking about its potential. That said, machine learning (ML) also has its own buzz. While these concepts are sometimes used interchangeably, does that mean they’re the same thing? If not, how are they different? In this post, we’ll explore just that. TL;DR: If you want […]

Why you shouldn’t use water main age alone to assess pipe condition

The country’s water infrastructure is aging, and some claim it’s a looming disaster. But before you panic, just remember: pipe age isn’t the only factor that determines its condition. Just like that vintage bottle of wine that gets better with time (or that old pair of jeans you can’t bear to throw away), some pipes […]

How BlueConduit’s work in Flint helped lay the groundwork for LSL policy nationwide

BlueConduit recently launched LeadOut Map, the first and only educational tool that provides the most complete picture of the presence of lead pipes in drinking water systems, including predictions of where lead pipes may lie. With the launch of LeadOut, we’re taking a moment to reflect on BlueConduit’s history – how a group of data […]

AI speeds cities’ lead pipe search with EPA deadline weeks away

Originally published on Bloomberg Law by Bobby Magill. Detroit is among a few cities using a new artificial intelligence-driven tool to find lead drinking water pipes, saving the city millions of dollars and helping it in its scramble to meet the EPA’s Oct. 16 inventory deadline. BlueConduit, which was founded by University of Michigan researchers […]

Funding for LCRR Compliance: What you need to know about using SRF and BIL funding for LSLI and LSLR

We talk a lot about ‘compliance’ but the reality is that compliance is complicated and changes over time. This series breaks down compliance requirements across the LCR and the proposed LCRI to help you understand the who, what, and when of compliance. The October 2024 Service Line Inventory deadline is now 1 month away. In the […]

How an AI research group got involved with SL identification

Using predictive modeling to get ahead of circumferential cracks

Water main breaks are a significant issue for many municipalities, leading to water loss, infrastructure damage, and costly repairs. Did you know? Circumferential cracks are among the most common types of failures in water mains, as highlighted by the study where 48% of respondents identified this failure mode as predominant in their water systems. Circumferential […]

How BlueConduit prepares utilities for LCRR compliance and beyond

We’ve already talked about how BlueConduit’s Inspection Manager helps water utilities track and manage their field verifications for lead service line predictions and no lead validation solutions for LCRR compliance. But did you know there’s even more that can be done? We break down the latest and greatest about the BlueConduit Experience, delivered in the […]

How corrosive soils contribute to water main breaks

When water mains break, it can be a disruptive, expensive, public headache for water systems. Many factors contribute to a water main leaking or breaking, including the soil surrounding the water mains, which plays a critical role in its longevity. Did you know? Corrosive soils can dramatically shorten the lifespan of water mains, leading to […]