TOWSON, MD—In an ongoing effort to ensure the safety of Baltimore County communities, the Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT) will be sending out Service Line Material Notification letters to residential, commercial, and industrial customers whose properties have water service lines constructed of, or possibly constructed of, lead.

The notification letters, which are expected to reach affected customers via mail between October 17 and November 17, 2024, will help both Baltimore County and its residents/customers become more informed about the construction of water lines.

The letters are also required for Baltimore County to comply with the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions that were announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2021. The updated rule requires utilities across the country to verify service line materials and address any locations with lead.

“The Lead and Copper Rules Revision initiative is a priority for our Department because it helps residents and property owners know the status of their water service lines,” Acting Director of Department of Public Works and Transportation Lauren Buckler said. “If you receive a letter, you should pay attention because we are trying to help our community be more informed about the potential existence of lead in our water system.”

Officials say the likelihood of finding lead water lines in Baltimore County is low. Baltimore County banned the installation of lead water service lines effective in 1961. The outreach effort is to help gauge where lead lines may exist and to help identify the next steps needed by customers.

The notification letters are another component of the public outreach effort Baltimore County DPWT and the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) have engaged in for the last year through its Baltimore Service Line Partnership as part of the national effort to identify and remove lead from drinking water systems.

The intent of the Service Line Material Notification letters is to make customers of the Baltimore Water System aware of the material status of their water service line. If the material is unknown to DPWT, it may contain lead. Customers are being asked to follow the instructions on the Baltimore Service Line Partnership website to identify the material of their water service line and submit the results to DPWT.

Not everyone will need to complete the survey. Only addresses with blue dots in the Self-Reporting Survey map on the Partnership website need to complete the survey. With just a magnet, a coin or key and a digital camera, customers can complete the brief survey that walks them through how to identify the material of their water service line and submit their response.

While lead service lines have the potential to leach lead into the water, Baltimore City DPW manages the chemistry of the treated water to prevent lead in water pipes from contaminating the drinking water, as indicated in the Annual Water Quality Report (PDF) available on the Baltimore DPW website.

Baltimore County customers seeking more information about the Baltimore Service Line Partnership are asked to visit www.servicelinepartnership.baltimorecity.gov, or call 443-263-2220.

Featured image via Pixabay