Getting the Lead Out

Water service lines are small pipes that carry water from the Middlesex Water Company’s water mains, located in the streets, into individual homes and other buildings.

For property owners with the meter inside the home, Middlesex Water Company is responsible for the service line from the main in the street to the curb stop, typically at the property line or in the sidewalk. The property owner is responsible for the service line from the curb stop to the meter inside the home.

For property owners with the meter in a pit outside the home, Middlesex Water Company is responsible for the service line from the main in the street to the meter, including the meter. The property owner is responsible for the service line from the meter to the connection to the plumbing inside the home.

a. Service lines, they can be made of lead, galvanized steel, plastic, brass, copper, cast iron or ductile iron.

b. Plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, fittings, etc.), indoor copper plumbing pipes contain lead solder.

Lead was commonly used for water service lines until 1960 and in household plumbing fixtures and solder until 1986, when it was banned. From 1986 to 2014, plumbing fixtures could contain up to 8% lead to be categorized as, “Lead free”. However, current standards for “Lead free” fixtures allow no more than 0.25% of lead content.

Many homes and buildings, especially those built before 1986, may have service lines and/or internal plumbing and fixtures that are made of or contain lead.

Many homes and buildings, especially those built before 1986, may have service lines and/or internal plumbing and fixtures that are made of or contain lead. A licensed plumber can help figure out if you have lead material in your indoor plumbing. You can also use an EPA-approved lead test kit, such as:

EPA-approved Lead Test Kit 

3M Lead Check Swabs 

Middlesex Water is doing a lead pipe replacement initiative to meet the New Jersey Legislation signed into law on July 22, 2021, to replace all lead and galvanized steel service lines by 2031. Although MWC has replaced the majority of the lead pipes on the service line portion it owns, the new legislation includes galvanized pipes and includes replacement on the customer-owned side. Utilities must replace the entire length of the lead or galvanized steel service line from the water main in the street to the connection inside the home.

Lead particles can attach to the surface of galvanized pipes and some galvanized pipes were made with lead in the pipe wall material.

Over time, the particles containing lead can enter your drinking water which is why New Jersey has banned all galvanized service lines along with lead service lines.

All lead exposure has risk. Therefore, there is no safe level of lead. In collaboration with their customers, Middlesex Water Company hopes to remove all lead service lines in their service area to protect customers’ health and wellbeing.

Middlesex Water has protectively replaced most of the lead service lines in the public right-of-way and adds a corrosion control treatment to your water to minimize lead amounts. We are now helping our customers replace the lead services lines on their private property.

• To optimize water quality, Middlesex Water uses pH control and adds the corrosion control chemical, zinc orthophosphate. Zinc orthophosphate coats the service lines helping to minimize the amount of lead dissolving into the water from the lead service lines, lead solder and older fixtures.
• Middlesex Water is conducting a utility-wide replacement of lead and galvanized steel service lines from the curb stop to the connection inside the home (the portion owned by the homeowner) throughout the service area. Middlesex water has already begun to replace known lead service lines on the utility owned side of the service line. They have also started reaching out to customers to schedule lead line replacements on the property owner’s side of the service line.

Middlesex Water Company tests water every six months in at least 100 high risk homes in the distribution system, in compliance with state and federal requirements and has never exceeded the EPA’s lead or copper action levels per the Lead and Copper Rule.

Test results from individual homes can show higher levels of lead depending on individual water usage and piping components, such as lead or galvanized steel service lines, plumbing materials, brass fittings, or lead solder on interior home plumbing.

Lead can get into drinking water from the plumbing inside your building or the service line between the street and your building. When water sits in the service line or your building’s plumbing without being used for several hours, such as overnight, the lead may dissolve into the water.

When water leaves Middlesex Water Company’s water treatment plant, it does not have lead. The water mains in the street that transport water from the treatment plant are made mostly of iron and steel, and do not add lead to the drinking water. Therefore, the best way to stop lead from getting into your drinking water is replacing the water service line and older plumbing and fixtures in your home.

You can do a materials verification test to find out if your service line has lead by following these instructions »

Schedule a free inspection by calling 800-549-3802. Middlesex Water Company is providing free water service line inspections to help property owners and tenants find out if they have a lead service line.

MWC has a Corrosion Control Program that will minimize the release of lead even if you have lead in your solder. If you would like to take an additional step to protect yourself from lead , flush your system by running cold water for about 3-5 minutes whenever the water in your home has not been used for more than 6 hours. A licensed plumber can also replace pipes that have lead solder with lead-free pipes.

A state-approved laboratory can test your water for lead. If the water testing results find lead levels at or greater than 15 parts per billion, contact the Middlesex Water Company at 800.549.3802 to conduct an investigation for the cause of the high level. Middlesex County has the following state-approved laboratories:

• Accredited Analytical Resources, LLC, Carteret Boro, 732-969-6112
• Eurofins Test America, Edison, 732-593-2519
• SGS North America, Inc., Dayton, 732-329-0200

You can find your water service line by first finding the water meter, which measures the amount of water entering your home for daily use. The water meter might be in your basement or outside your home in a water meter pit. The water service line is the pipe that connects the water meter to the water main in the street. For assistance in locating the water service line, call Middlesex Water Company at 800-549-3802.

Completing the self-reporting survey that’s COMING SOON will help Middlesex Water company track which customers do or do not need water service line replacement. You can also call 800-549- 3802 to report your service line material.

• If you think your service line is made of lead, please contact the Middlesex Water Company 800- 549-3802 or submit the survey so we can confirm and take action. Middlesex Water Company will provide additional information about scheduling the inspection and replacement of your service line.
• Once your ROE has been approved, a Middlesex Water Contractor will leave a doorhanger at your residence with a proposed date and time for replacement, along with the contractor’s contact information if the replacement must be rescheduled. You must be home at the time of replacement to allow the contractor to access to your service line from inside your house.

Exposure to high levels of lead is a serious health risk. Lead builds up in the body over many years and can cause damage to the brain, red blood cells, and kidneys. The greatest risk is to young children, pregnant women, and unborn babies. Amounts of lead that will not harm adults can slow down the normal mental and physical development of children, particularly those under 6 years old.

You can take several actions to decrease your lead exposure, including:

• Replacing your lead service line.
• Getting a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF)-Certified home water treatment device, faucet, or pitcher filter that removes lead. The device must be both NSF 42- and NSF 53- certified to remove lead. Devices and filters installed at the faucet will remove any lead contained in indoor plumbing and plumbing fixtures.
• Buying plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, sinks, hose bibs, etc.) that have zero- or low-lead content meeting the current “lead-free” requirements. Read the labels of any new plumbing fixtures closely.
• Running tap water for about five minutes before you use it for drinking or cooking, if the water has gone unused for more than 6 hours. In doing so, you are flushing the stagnated water and getting fresh water from the water main pipe.
• Using fresh, cold, running water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula.
• Removing and cleaning faucet screens and aerators every 6 months.

Yes. Human skin does not absorb lead in water. Bathing and showering should be safe for you and your children, even if the water contains lead over EPA’s action level.

• Visit the Middlesex Water Company Lead Information Page
• Visit the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule website
• Visit the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP)’s Lead and Copper Rule website 

Not during the lead replacement initiative. Middlesex Water Company will replace all lead and galvanized steel water service lines at no cost to the property owner or tenant. If the property owner chooses to not participate in the initiative, future replacement will be at the cost of the property owner.

Not necessarily. If you live in a building that was built prior to 1986, it is possible that your plumbing fixtures contain lead or lead solder was used at the joints of your interior piping. A licensed plumber can help figure out if you have lead material in your indoor plumbing, or you can use an EPA-approved Lead Test Kit More information on kits »

You should replace your lead service line to protect your personal health and your family’s health. No amount of lead is safe for humans to consume. Young children (under 6 years old) and the elderly can be more affected by lead exposure. They, along with pregnant women, may be at a higher public health risk to lead.

• If you have lead or galvanized, submit a right-of-entry (ROE) form to Middlesex Water to start the replacement process. You can find right-of-entry forms in the customer portal https://trinnex.cloud/leadcast/public/login?tenantName=MiddlesexWater

• Once a survey is submitted by a customer, our experts review the submission, including the photos, and typically verify the submission within two weeks. Once the photos have been confirmed, the submitted survey will be “verified” and the new material will show up in the map. If our experts are unable to confirm the material from the photo, they will reach out to you for additional information.

Middlesex Water Company is offering free water testing to homes that have lead or galvanized service lines. Once an inspection is verified by our experts to be lead or galvanized, the option to request a free water sample kit will be available in the customer portal starting in October 2023.

Middlesex Water Company is prioritizing identifications and replacements over the next 8 years based on coordinating with other on-going work and based on socioeconomic and environmental factors. The 2023 replacements will be focused in the town of Carteret. Replacements for 2024 and beyond are still being determined.