Water problems
Lead in water and lead service lines
Where lead in tap water comes from, the EPA's 15 ppb action level, lead service line replacement in Philadelphia and New Jersey, and how to reduce lead at the tap.
Lead rarely comes from the water source. It usually gets into tap water from lead service lines (the pipe from the main to your home), lead solder, and older brass fixtures. The EPA's health goal for lead is zero, because no safe level is known, and utilities must act if more than 10% of homes sampled exceed 15 parts per billion (ppb)[1]. Lead pipes and lead solder were banned in drinking water plumbing in 1986, so homes built before then are more likely to have lead somewhere in the system.
Lead service lines in our area
- New Jersey: state law requires every lead service line to be replaced by July 2031[2]. Newark replaced 23,190 lead service lines, finishing in 2023[3].
- Philadelphia: as of October 2024, the city's inventory showed 14,272 lead lines and 1,189 galvanized lines requiring replacement, about 1 in 20 properties. The Water Department runs a replacement pilot and HELP loans[4][5].
- Pennsylvania and Delaware utilities publish service line inventories under federal rules. Ask your utility, or check its Consumer Confidence Report[6].
How to find out about your home
Your utility's lead results are averages across sampled homes. They can't tell you about your own pipes. Our free water report shows your utility's latest 90th-percentile lead result, and an in-home test checks your tap. You can also look at where the water line enters your home: lead pipe is dull gray, soft, and scratches to a shiny silver.
Reducing lead at the tap
Replacing lead lines and fixtures is the permanent fix. Until then, run cold water before drinking if it has sat for hours, and use cold water for cooking and baby formula. For drinking water, a reverse osmosis system or a filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead reduction can reduce lead at the kitchen tap. A whole-house system isn't a lead solution unless it's certified for it.
Solutions that help
What drives the price? See Reverse osmosis cost. Every recommendation starts with your free water report.
Where this comes up in our service area
Common questions
My utility's lead result is low. Am I safe?
A low 90th-percentile result is good news about the system, but lead mostly comes from the plumbing at individual homes. If your home was built before 1986 or you don't know your service line material, test your tap.
Does boiling water remove lead?
No. Boiling doesn't remove lead.
Who pays to replace a lead service line?
It depends on your utility and state. New Jersey requires replacement by 2031, and Philadelphia offers a pilot program and HELP loans. Ask your utility what applies to your address.
Clean water starts with knowing what's in it.
Sources
- U.S. EPA: Basic information about lead in drinking water. www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water
- New Jersey P.L. 2021, c.183 (lead service line replacement). pub.njleg.gov/bills/2020/AL21/183_.HTM
- NJDEP: Newark lead service line replacement audit summary. dep.nj.gov/wp-content/uploads/newarklead/docs/newark-lsl-replacement-audit-summary.pdf
- Philadelphia Water Department: New map of service line materials. water.phila.gov/drops/water-department-launches-new-map-of-service-line-materials-to-meet-new-federal-regulations/
- Philadelphia Water Department: Lead. water.phila.gov/lead/
- U.S. EPA: Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) information for consumers. www.epa.gov/ccr/ccr-information-consumers
EPA records retrieved Oct 2026 from the EPA SDWIS and UCMR 5 public datasets. Utility records describe a water system, not the tap in your home. Records can lag and may be incomplete.