Lead Service Line Inventory

As part of the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, water systems are required to document all water service line materials in their system and identify any lead or lead containing materials that may be in the system. The Plymouth Water Division has completed an initial inventory of water service lines in its water distribution system. The inventory identifies the material of your service line and we have developed an interactive map for customers to access their water service data. 

If your property has been identified as having a lead or galvanized water service, you will receive a letter from us that includes steps you can take to reduce your risks of lead exposure. If we have been unsuccessful in identifying your service line material based on our records review, your service line is classified as unknown, and we will send you a letter requesting your assistance in determining your water service material. If you do not receive a letter, you should assume you do not have a lead or galvanized service, and no action is required. Letters will be sent out by December 31, 2025.  

What You Should Know About Lead in Drinking Water

Historically, lead piping, as well as lead-bearing fixtures and solder, were commonly used in water services as well as in home plumbing. While replacing lead service lines does not eliminate all lead exposures from tap water because plumbing systems inside homes and buildings (i.e., premise plumbing) can also contain lead components, replacing lead service lines removes a key source of lead in drinking water.

Health Effects of Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water

Lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels. Lead is persistent, and it can be stored in the body over time.  Excessive amounts of lead in the body can cause damage to the brain, kidneys and liver. Young children, infants, and fetuses are particularly vulnerable to lead because the physical and behavioral effects of lead occur at lower exposure levels in children than in adults. 

Lead and Copper Sampling Data

The Plymouth Water Division is committed to providing clean, safe drinking water to all customers and regularly conducts sampling for lead in accordance with all federal and state requirements. There is no lead in our source water. Corrosion control treatment is used to prevent lead from leaching out of the pipes into the water. We routinely test the water quality at specific customer services to ensure our corrosion control treatment is effective in accordance with current regulations. Plymouth's latest round of lead and copper sampling shows we are below the EPA's lead action level and information regarding lead in Plymouth's drinking water can be found in the Water Division's Annual Water Quality Report. 

Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water

• Use your filter properly.  Using a filter can reduce lead in drinking water. If you use a filter, make sure it is certified by NSF to remove lead - it will say so on the package. Read the directions to learn how to properly install and use your cartridge and when to replace it. Using the cartridge after it has expired can make it less effective at removing lead. Do not run hot water through the filter.
• Clean your aerator. Regularly clean your faucet’s screen (also known as an aerator). Sediment, debris, and lead particles can collect in your aerator. If lead particles are caught in the aerator, lead can get into your water. See how to clean your aerator here    Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water  Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water  Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water  Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water   Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water. 
• Use cold water. Use only cold water for drinking, cooking and making baby formula. Run the water for at least one minute or until after it turns cold. 
• Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water does not remove lead.
• Run your water. The more time water has been sitting in pipes, the more lead it may contain. Before drinking or cooking with your water, flush your home’s pipes by running the tap, taking a shower, doing laundry, or doing a load of dishes. The amount of time to run the water will depend on whether your home has a lead service line or not, the length of the lead service line, and the amount of plumbing in your home. 
• Learn if you have a lead service line. Find out if the pipe that connects your home to the water main (called a service line) is made from lead.  
• Identify and replace plumbing fixtures containing lead and any copper piping with lead solder. Copper piping with lead solder installed prior to 1986 is likely to have a higher percentage of lead in the solder, as the Safe Drinking Water Act, which banned lead pipes and required lead solder to contain no more than 0.2% lead, passed in 1986. Brass piping and plumbing fixtures installed prior to 2014 may contain up to 8% lead; the 2014 Lead Reduction Act reduced the “lead-free” definition to no more than a weighted average of 0.25% lead of wetted surfaces.
• Learn about construction in your neighborhood.  If you have a lead service line, you should be aware of any nearby construction or maintenance work that could disturb the line. Ground tremors from construction may suddenly cause more lead to be released from a lead service lines in the area. 
• Have your water tested. You cannot see, taste, or smell lead in drinking water. Contact the Water Department to learn about having your water tested and to learn more about the lead levels in your drinking water.  See a list of certified labs here.   Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water  Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water  Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water  Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water   Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water 
• Have your child's blood tested for lead. Children area a higher risk group of the health effects of lead. If you would like to have your child tested, contact your health care provider or the DPH Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.