Protect Your Household by Reporting the Composition of Your Water Service Line
Water delivered to your tap by Middlesex Water is lead free and the Company adds further treatment to minimize lead that may be in household pipes from leaching into the water. The company-owned portion of the water service line – the line taking water from the street to the curb stop – is also lead free. But, if the customer-owned portion has lead, it can leach from the pipe into the treated drinking water entering customers’ homes. Lead solder in indoor plumbing and lead in some older plumbing fixtures can also add lead to drinking water.
Confused about the location of your service line? The illustrations below may reflect your service line configuration.
Lead can pose a health risk, particularly to young children, pregnant women, and unborn babies. Lead can build up in the body over many years and can cause damage to the brain, red blood cells, and kidneys. So, it’s important for customers to know if the service line providing water to their home and family is made of lead.
The good news for New Jersey residents is that legislation enacted July 22, 2021, calls for utilities to replace the entire length of the lead service line from the water main in the street to the water meter on the home or building owner’s property within a 10-year period at no direct cost to the property owner.
Middlesex Water has already replaced any known utility-owned lead service lines but because it does not have records on the service lines owned by customers on their private property, it is asking customers to self-report the composition of their service line through its web portal. Instructions are provided on how customers can assess and submit their service line assessment. Once the Company has an accurate inventory of customer lead lines, it can begin to develop a schedule to systematically and methodically replace any customer-owned lead lines serving their home.
The success of our Knocking Out Lead program – and improving our community’s health – relies on the cooperation of property owners to learn more and report their service line material.
The Company has long been working with communities to reduce lead exposure.
- As part of its treatment process, the company uses pH control and further adjusts the water chemistry to minimize lead dissolving into water.
- Middlesex tests water every six months in at least 100 high-risk homes in the distribution system, in compliance with state and federal requirements. The test results have never been above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) lead or copper action levels per the Lead and Copper Rule.
- Additionally, regulations now also require New Jersey utilities to replace galvanized steel service lines, in addition to any lead lines, and Middlesex is currently replacing those lines on both the utility-owned and customer-owned portion.
Fighting lead requires a united effort. We encourage all customers to join in our mission of “Knocking Out Lead” by visiting our Lead education page and submitting their service line status. Report your service line composition here.
To learn more about health effects of lead and how to reduce exposure, review the FAQs and the following additional resources:
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/default.htm
https://www.state.nj.us/health/childhoodlead/resources.shtml
https://nj.gov/health/ceohs/documents/dw_lead_factsheet.pdf
https://www.lslr-collaborative.org/uploads/9/2/0/2/92028126/lslrc_fact_sheet_lsls.pdf
