Annual Notifications of Service Line Material

Almost 98% of customer-owned water service lines in our service area are not lead. These customers do not receive annual notifications.

Recurring Reminders

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandates that water utilities send annual notifications to any address with a lead, Galvanized Requiring Replacement (GRR) or unknown service line material until the service line is confirmed as non-lead (either through replacement or verification).

While not required, customers who do not receive notifications are welcome to use our interactive inventory map to verify the type of pipe servicing their property. 

Why Some Customers Receive a Notification

WSSC Water, in line with EPA regulations, sends annual letters to customers whose service lines are unknown, GRR or lead. This year, our letter categories have expanded, since some pipes have been verified, while others have not. Also, in the "unknown" category, we are distinguishing amongst those that are unknown on the customer side, utility side and on both sides.  

Letter categories

• GRR (Unverified): This is a galvanized pipe on the customer side that requires replacement since the public side either was once lead or unknown. Unverified means that we have not done a pipe check in the home, nor have the customers taken the online survey.
• GRR (Verified): Verified means that someone has checked the pipe and determined it is a GRR. EPA requires us to continue notifying these customers annually until the service line is confirmed as non-lead (either through replacement or verification).
• Unknown, Customer Side Only: Our extensive records review identified the utility side of the service line as non-lead, but we haven’t located records with enough detail to help us determine the pipe material on the customer-side service line. Therefore, the customer-side service line needs to be verified through customer self-survey and photographs, or an in-home verification. These customers may schedule to have someone from WSSC Water’s contractor, Lead Free Group, come out to check their pipe.
• Unknown, Utility Side Only: Our extensive records review identified the customer-side service line as non-lead. However, we have not yet located the records with enough detail to help us determine the pipe material on the utility-side service line. WSSC Water will begin checking the pipe material on this side early next year. This will entail digging down to the service line, usually in the yard, and exposing enough of the pipe to identify the pipe material. After completion, the disturbed area will be restored to a condition that closely matches its original state.
• Unknown, Both Sides: These notification letters contain the messages in both of the previous two scenarios.

What We've Done Since the 2024 Letters

• WSSC Water has reclassified about 6,000 previously unknown service lines as non-lead, based on updated records research or checking the pipe type through an in-home verification.
• More than 600 customers have taken the self-survey since October 2024, helping us verify pipe types.
  From the survey, no lead service lines were found, though one lead connector was identified, and a small number of GRRs were confirmed.
• In the past year, one lead service line was discovered by a plumber during a routine house call. The homeowner chose to replace the service line that same day.
• Neighborhood-level pipe checks have begun, where WSSC Water’s contractor, Lead Free Group, assists occupants by performing the survey for them.

Reducing Your Exposure to Lead

Sources of Lead

Have Questions?

Please contact us at PipeType@wsscwater.com.