Door Notice

If Cleveland Water is working on your street, you may have received a colored door notice regarding lead. Below are descriptions for the 3 different types of notices that customers can receive.

Purple

Orange

Yellow

If you have questions about the door notices, please call our Lead Inquiry Line at 216-664-2882.

 

 
 

Purple Door Notice: No Lead/Lead Removed

If you received a two-tone purple door notice, it means that your property has been reconnected to the water main in a project area that previously had lead and has had all visible lead removed from all city-owned and customer-owned service line connections in the project area. If “No Lead” was circled at the top of your door hanger, your service line did not contain lead prior to work being completed. If “Lead Removed” was circled, your city-owned service line was lead, was removed and is now copper.

  • You should perform an initial 30-minute cold water full house flush which includes removing and cleaning aerator screens.
  • While no lead remains in the project area, Cleveland Water is offering to perform a service line water sample analysis 30 days after your service line is connected to the main. If interested, please call our Lead Inquiry Line at 216-664-2882 after re-connection to obtain a sampling kit.
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Orange Door Notice: Customer-Owned Lead Left Behind

If you have received an orange and purple door notice, it means that while the city-owned service line has been replaced, your property still has a customer-owned lead service line. You should:

  • Flush your home's plumbing prior to any water being used by removing aerators and running the cold water at each tap at the same time for 30 minutes.
  • Use the lead-filtering water pitcher provided for all water consumed in the house.
  • After performing the 30-minute flush and after water has sat in your plumbing for at least 6 hours, collect a Service Line Water Quality sample following directions left with the sample bottle. This should be collected within 3 days of reconnection. Required Water Sample    (Video)
  • Perform a cold water flush daily for 5 minutes at your kitchen faucet after water has not been used for 6 or more hours.
  • Perform a 30-minute cold water full house flush every 2 weeks for 6 months or until water quality test results indicate that unfiltered lead levels in your home’s water are below the federal action level of 15 parts per billion.
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Yellow Door Notice: No Lead/Lead Removed

 

If you received a yellow and purple door notice, it means that your property’s service line was either not lead or that all visible lead has been removed. However, at least one customer in the project area may still have a customer-owned lead service line. If “No Lead” was circled at the top of your door hanger, your service line did not contain lead prior to work being completed. If “Lead Removed” was circled, your city-owned service line was lead, was removed and is now copper.

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Full House Flush

Cold water flushing should occur immediately after water service is restored anytime lead has been removed or still remains in any portion of the service line, and when customers are connected to a new water main after being on a bypass. When lead service lines are replaced, small lead particles may dislodge due to vibrations and movement of service lines and plumbing. Flushing COLD WATER through all of your home’s plumbing at the same time for 30 minutes moves any potential lead particles out of the potable water system and down the drain.

It is extremely important that you DO NOT use any HOT water in your home until you flush your cold water lines. If you had or still have lead in your service line, using hot water first could pull lead particles into the hot water tank.

Flushing is the American Water Works Association industry standard to reduce your risk of lead exposure after a lead service line replacement.

  • Remove all aerator screens from every faucet and fixture in your home. Be sure to keep track of which aerator goes with which faucet.
  • If a tub includes a showerhead, use the tub faucet to flush the plumbing. If a showerhead is the only way to flush a line, and if the showerhead cannot easily be removed, do not use the shower for flushing.
  • Disconnect or bypass all faucet filters, under-counter treatment units, and full-house treatment systems.
  • Find the faucet that is closest to where the service line enters your home. If this is an outdoor spigot, turn this on first as high as it goes. Otherwise, start in the basement or lowest floor of your home. Turn the COLD WATER on as high as it goes.
  • Continue opening all faucets, including tubs, utility sinks, and outdoor spigots, until all faucets are open on all floors. Every faucet in your home should be on at the same time.
  • After all faucets are on, let the water run for at least 30 minutes. Running the cold water should move lead particles, if they exist, out of the system.
  • After 30 minutes, turn off the first faucet you opened. Then turn off all other faucets in the same order you turned them on until all cold water faucets are off.
  • Clean and reattach the aerators to each faucet. If an aerator cannot be cleaned, do not reattach it. Use your faucet without the aerator until you can buy a replacement.
  • If you have an under-counter or whole-house treatment unit, turn it back on.

 

Cleaning Your Aerators

Cleaning faucet aerators regularly and after disruptions in water service is important for maintaining the high quality of Cleveland Water that is delivered to your home.

Aerator screens are made of metal or plastic and attach to the end of the faucet. They enhance water pressure by dividing the flow into dozens of tiny streams. Aerators may accumulate tiny particles of sediment that have corroded from inside your home’s plumbing and hot water tank. Aerators should be cleaned at least twice a year and after disruptions in water service as part of the full house flush procedure.

During construction activities, small particles of solder and other material can dislodge from pipes and accumulate in faucet aerators. In cases where homes have lead service lines or plumbing, these particles may contain lead. Cleaning all faucet aerators is a critical step in protecting your family from potential lead exposure after a lead water service line replacement. If the aerator screen is not able to be cleaned, do not reinsert the screen into your faucet. Use the faucet without the aerator until you purchase a new screen insert.

Standard aerators screw on to the tip of the faucet. To remove and clean:

  • Unscrew the screen until it comes off by turning it clockwise. You may be able to unscrew standard aerators with your hand or you may need a wrench or other tool to help give you enough torch to loosen the aerator housing.
  • Separate the parts of the aerator. You may notice a few small black, brown, white or copper-colored flecks on the screen. This is metal and plastic that has corroded from your plumbing system.
  • Rinse all parts of the screen with water. If residue has accumulated on the screen or housing, soak the aerator parts in vinegar for approximately 20 minutes. Then, scrub all parts with a small clean brush.
  • Reassemble the aerator and reattach it to the faucet.
  • Test the faucet to ensure you installed it correctly.

Some aerators may be cache aerators which need a special key or wrench to remove. Cache aerators are inserted into the tip of the faucet and are hidden from view.

  • Cache aerators can be cleaned the same way as standard aerators, however, they require a special tool to remove them from your faucet.
  • Aerator keys come in multiple styles and four different sizes. Standard is the size of a quarter. Junior is the size of a nickel. Tiny Junior is the size of a penny. Tom Thumb is the size of a dime.
  • Most faucets with cache aerators are originally packaged with a flat metal or plastic tool that can be placed into the aerator grooves to unscrew it.
  • If you do not have an aerator key set, one can be ordered online or by calling your faucet’s manufacturer.
  • To remove a cache aerator, determine which key size fits.
  • Insert the key’s groves into the aerators grooves.
  • Then turn the key clockwise to unscrew the aerator.
  • Once the aerator screen and housing are removed from the faucet, clean then reassemble.

 

 

Using the Filters

If you received a yellow or orange door notice, you should have also received a water pitcher with filters in a bag near this door notice. The filters should be used FOR ALL WATER YOUR FAMILY CONSUMES until water quality test results show lead levels are below the federal action level of 15 ppb.

  • Customers are encouraged to develop a system to keep track of how many times they filled their reservoir to ensure filter cartridges are changed according to manufacturer’s directions.
  • Each cartridge can filter 40 gallons. The pitcher holds 8 cups at a time. This means you can completely refill the reservoir 80 times before you need to change the cartridge.
  • Mark your calendar when you begin using a new filter.
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