This fall, New Jersey American Water customers with unknown water service line material will receive a letter with information about how to identify and report the material of the line that brings water into their homes. It’s part of New Jersey American Water’s statewide effort to help ensure safe, reliable water service by identifying and replacing all lead and galvanized service lines by 2031.
In 2021, New Jersey passed a law requiring water service providers to identify the material of both utility and customer-owned service lines, inform customers if those lines are made of lead or galvanized steel, and if so, replace them.
In response, New Jersey American Water developed the Lead Service Line Replacement Program in 2022. This educational program encourages customers to test the material of their home’s service line and share their findings online.
What’s included in this letter?
As required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, the letter will notify customers who haven’t yet self-reported and whose water lines are made from an unknown material. While New Jersey American Water’s water mains contain no lead, the service lines that carry water into homes could.
Within the letter, customers will find information about the Lead Service Line Replacement program, a required notice from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection regarding the unknown status of their service line material, and additional steps to reduce potential exposure to lead in drinking water.
What should homeowners do if they receive this letter?
Homeowners who receive the letter should locate and self-identify their service line material and report their findings back to New Jersey American Water.
Homeowners don’t need to wait for the letter to take action — they can use New Jersey American Water’s online customer service line map to check whether the material of their pipes is known today! If the material is unknown, customers are encouraged to self-identify their service line material as soon as possible.
Watch this video to get started. Then, follow a few simple steps to locate the service line, test the material, and submit the results online. Customers who self-ID and report the material of their service line can disregard the letter.
If the service line is made of lead or galvanized steel, New Jersey American Water will replace it in accordance with its Lead Service Line Replacement plan.
Should homeowners be concerned if they receive this letter?
No, lead is rarely found in drinking water itself; it enters tap water when materials that contain lead, such as service lines and household plumbing fixtures like faucets, break down.
Customers can still use their water as they normally would, because the water provided by New Jersey American Water meets all state and federal water quality standards, including those set for lead.
This next phase of the Lead Service Line Replacement Program focuses on education and action, and making sure no customers are left behind. It’s one of the many ways New Jersey American Water is helping to create a lead-free future for New Jersey.
