Important Information About Recent EPA-Required Service Line Letters

Some customers recently received a letter from the Yarmouth Water District regarding the material of their water service line. We want to provide additional context and reassurance about what this notice means.

First and most important: there are no issues with lead in YWD’s drinking water — and there never have been.
Yarmouth Water District consistently meets all state and federal drinking water standards, and our water quality is high.

Why did you receive this letter?

The letter was mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of new nationwide regulations that require all public water systems to inventory the material of every service line — both the portion owned by the water utility and the portion owned by the customer.

The language in the letter is also required by EPA and must be used exactly as written, even when no lead has been found.

What is a “service line” and who owns what?

A service line is the pipe that brings water from the water main in the street into a home or building.

• District-owned portion: from the water main in the road to the service valve (usually at the property line)

• Customer-owned portion: from the service valve at the property line into the home, typically entering near the water meter in the basement

YWD has good records for the District-owned portion, and these are classified as non-lead.
However, we often do not have records for the customer-owned portion, especially in older homes.

What does “Unknown” mean?

If we do not have documented proof of the pipe material on the customer side, EPA requires us to classify it as “Unknown.”
This does not mean lead was found — it simply means the material has not yet been verified.

Because of EPA rules, any customer with an “Unknown” classification must receive a letter, even if there is no evidence of lead and no water quality concerns.

What happens next?

Over the next year, YWD will be working to verify service line materials for homes currently listed as unknown.

This is a simple visual check of the pipe where it enters the home, usually near the water meter in the basement. No excavation is required.

If you received a letter, you can call our office to schedule an appointment:

Yarmouth Water District
207-846-5821
Office Hours: Monday–Thursday, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Drought Update

We’ve received some questions about how the current dry conditions are affecting the Yarmouth Water District’s water supply.

The types of wells most impacted by this drought are shallow, dug residential wells. The District’s supply, however, comes from a thick sand and gravel aquifer, while most private residential wells in our area draw from deep bedrock wells. These sources are generally less vulnerable to drought conditions.

The Yarmouth Water District takes stewardship of its water sources very seriously. We continuously monitor our production wells and a network of monitoring wells throughout the aquifer, and we consult regularly with a hydrogeologist. While water levels are lower than average this year, they remain within a strong and stable range, and are higher than levels observed in previous droughts.

Based on current data, there is no need at this time to ask customers to limit water use. We will continue to closely track aquifer levels as the season progresses and will communicate promptly if conditions change.

We always encourage everyone to use water responsibly and be mindful of conservation, no matter the season.

2024 Water Quality Report is Here

We recently completed our annual Consumer Confidence Report which includes water quality information. It always can be found under “About” and then “Water Quality” along with previous reports. Click here for our 2024 Consumer Confidence Report

We Now Accept Credit/Debit Card Payments

We are working with InforME, a third-party partner with Maine.Gov, to accept card payments to your account. There is a minimum fee of $1.00 or 2.5% of your payment whichever is greater. The fee is not collected by the Yarmouth Water District, it funds operations of the online service through Maine.gov and other Maine.gov online services. We still accept cash and check by mail and at our office.

You will need to have your account number, service address, email address (for payment verification), and the amount due to make proper payment. We can also take card payments over the phone if that is easier. To make a payment at the Maine.Gov / InforME website CLICK HERE. This link will open a new window to the payment website. Do not hesitate to give our office a call at 846-5821 with any questions.

Office Hours Change

Starting on July 1, 2022, we will be changing our hours of operation to Monday through Thursday from 7 am to 5 pm. We still have an operator on call 24/7 for emergencies.

Private Water Testing Postcard

The Yarmouth Water District has received numerous calls regarding a postcard that is being circulated in the area that is offering free water testing. The card suggests that seasonal changes in the water table can impact the quality of your drinking water. This postcard is not from the District and our source of supply does not experience water quality fluctuations due to the change in seasons. We can assure you that we meet or exceed all state and federal drinking water standards. If you have any concerns regarding your drinking water do not hesitate to call us at 846-5821.

Imagine a Day Without Water

Utilities throughout the state are facing a lot of the same challenges to keep providing high-quality drinking water to our customers. It starts with protecting the source that may inhibit thousands of acres depending on the zone of contribution of the source, and then pumping and treating (if necessary) the water through the distribution system piping, to the storage tanks, to hydrants for fighting fires, and to your tap The Executive Director of the MWUA wrote an article in the Portland Press that touches on some of these challenges, take a look! Have a good day everyone.

Click here to read the article!

Board of Trustees Meeting

The Board of Trustees meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 6:00 PM.  All meetings are open to the public and the public is encouraged to attend. If you need more information regarding the monthly meetings, please contact Eric Gagnon, Superintendent, at 207-846-5821.

Click here to find meeting agendas and minutes.

New Educational Item

We just added an item to the News & Notes and Education section to help answer some common questions in regards to water pressure. Click HERE to go directly to the page.