Alerts
January 05, 2026
Dear Members,
I would like to provide some clarity and reassurance following a recent formal notice issued regarding our lead and copper testing schedule. Most importantly, your drinking water is safe and has consistently met all health and safety standards. The notice is not about water quality; it is a regulatory formality arising from a missed sample-reporting deadline.
What Happened?
In 2024, a required round of lead and copper testing was missed, not due to negligence or contamination, but because of a shipping error by a third-party contractor hired by the EPA and TCEQ. The testing kits were mistakenly sent to the wrong location, even though our correct address was on file. By the time this was discovered, the sampling window had closed.
As soon as we became aware of the issue, we took immediate action. The testing company acknowledged its mistake and sent a new kit. We promptly collected and submitted the required water samples. Because the deadline had technically passed, a non-emergency public notification was required by law. However, this situation posed no risk to public health, and our system returned to full compliance as of June 17, 2025.
Additional Context
- RCH is not a high-risk system for lead or copper, unlike older systems in some urban areas. Nonetheless, we are still required to participate in regular testing by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
- Lead and copper testing is not conducted daily or monthly—it is a specialized test typically required once every three years. Due to this administrative issue and upcoming system changes, RCH will have conducted four rounds of testing in just two years, far exceeding the minimum requirement.
- RCH does not choose the testing addresses. The regulatory authorities select them, and samples are collected from 20 of our 3,000 connections.
- You can review the most recent test results (July 1–Dec 31, 2025) here:
https://rchwater.myruralwater.com/documents/1407/July_1-Dec_31_2025_Lead_and_Copper_Report_rotated.pdf
This was a case of being caught in the middle of a bureaucratic process. We’ve strengthened our internal oversight to prevent future issues and remain confident in our continued compliance.
As always, thank you for trusting RCH with your water service. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Kind regards,
Robin Mayall
CEO, RCH
