Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU), a municipal utility serving about 200,000 customers in north-central Florida, wanted to take a proactive approach to preparing for the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI).
THE CHALLENGE
Although GRU had never identified lead service lines and maintained strong records for utility-owned infrastructure, new inventory requirements created uncertainty around difficult-to-inspect customer-owned service lines. To stay ahead of the rule and avoid costly reactive measures, GRU partnered with CDM Smith and Trinnex to develop a defensible, efficient, and regulator-accepted compliance strategy. Main challenges were:
- High cost and disruption of traditional verification methods
- Difficulty establishing a consistent compliance framework due to rapidly evolving LCRI guidance
- Large number of “unknown” private‑side service lines
THE SOLUTION
CDM Smith and Trinnex worked with GRU to implement a statistically
defensible service line inventory strategy designed to confidently resolve
unknowns without costly widespread excavation.
RESULTS
Predictive statistical modeling: Representative sampling and targeted inspections across geography and construction eras confirmed, with high confidence, the absence of lead service lines systemwide.
Customer trust building: Eliminating unknowns avoided repeat notifications and supported clear communication to maintain public confidence.
Transparent methodology: Engineering review combined utility knowledge, historical records, GIS data, work orders, and inspections into a fully documented, reproducible approach.
Passing regulatory rigor: Expertise provided by CDM Smith and Trinnex on the regulatory landscape led to breakthrough methodology acceptance by FDEP.water supply.
– Jennifer McElroy, Gainesville Regional UtilitiesI feel like we had the dream team for this. Working with CDM Smith and Trinnex was really a turnkey process. The team is fantastic.
