120Water, a national provider for managing drinking water programs, has been named a winner of the 2022 Water Data Prize by the Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), a nonprofit that seeks to spur innovation around lead service line replacement.
120Water was awarded for its lead service line inventory solution, which enables utilities to identify and track service line material inventories and avoid expensive digs. 120Water has worked with water utilities of all sizes across the country, tracking more than 450,000 service lines in 2021.
The Lead and Copper Rule Revision (LCRR), which recently went into effect, aims to better protect communities from exposure to lead in drinking water. A key provision of the rule requires water utilities to compile a location-based inventory of service line materials, including public and private portions, and make the inventory available to the public by October 2024.
As infrastructure investment funds are deployed through state revolving fund agencies, an accurate inventory will be critical in order to distribute funding to water systems with the greatest need. 120Water’s solution helps solve this challenge by digitizing physical records, like tap cards, and visually displaying a preliminary inventory of known and unknown materials for both public and private lines.
The solution’s predictive modeling tool is applied to predict which unknown service lines may be made of lead. 120Water’s team then analyzes those results, builds a verification plan, and makes it easy to report inventories to primacy agencies and share with the public via its Public Transparency Dashboard.
“Creating this inventory will be challenging for many utilities because most lack detailed information about the materials that make up their water service lines,” said Megan Glover, CEO of 120Water. “We are pleased that EPIC recognizes the value our service line inventory solutions bring to utilities working to comply with these new regulations.”
120Water was awarded $10,000 by EPIC, which the company plans to donate to two causes: UNICEF to protect children in Ukraine, and the Water For People Indiana Chapter, a global nonprofit that helps bring clean water and sanitation solutions to underserved communities.
More than 50 organizations and individuals from communications and technology firms, academia, community groups, and water utilities submitted entries aimed at effectively replacing lead water pipes. The entries were submitted in four categories related to lead service line inventories and mapping, replacing pipes equitably, and proactive communications on lead risks and programs.
CDM Smith and the City of Newark, NJ, were the overall winners of this year’s Water Data Prize and will be awarded $50,000 in prize money. 120Water also partnered with Newark on this project, managing the city’s post-replacement sampling program.
“120Water is proud to have been a partner with Newark and CDM Smith on their model LSL replacement program and we offer them our congratulations on their Water Data Prize recognition. It is well deserved,” said Glover.
An online awards ceremony is planned for March 29 at Noon CT and is free to attend. Registration is available here.
