WILKES-BARRE — Pennsylvania American Water announced door-to-door canvassing in Wilkes-Barre and Dickson City to assist nearly 12,000 customers in identifying the material of their home’s water service line.
A water service line is a pipe that connects a home or business to the water main in the street.
Pennsylvania American Water owns a portion of the service line, typically from the main to the curb stop, found near the street curb or sidewalk. The property owner owns the rest of the service line (from curb stop) all the way into the house or building being served, which is why customer participation in this program is important.
If a service line is identified as lead or galvanized steel, Pennsylvania American Water will work with the customer to replace the line at no direct cost to them.
In Wilkes-Barre, the material of more than 10,000 service lines have not been identified. In Dickson City, approximately 1,300 customer-side water service line materials have not yet been identified.
Outreach is also underway in Scranton and Carbondale. Once canvassing is complete in these areas, efforts will continue in other communities served by the company’s system in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.
The door‑to‑door outreach will be conducted by CDM Smith, Pennsylvania American Water’s service line inventory contractor. All representatives will carry official company photo I.D. badges and wear logoed, high-visibility vests. Canvassing in the area is expected to be completed in these areas in the fall.
The outreach efforts are part of the company’s lead service line replacement program, supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, which require all water utilities to identify and make public the materials that both company-owned and customer-owned service lines are made of to address and minimize exposure of lead in drinking water.
Since the lead service line identification project began, more than 50,000 service lines have been identified statewide, and more than 3,400 customer-owned lead lines have been replaced.
Customers can view an interactive service line map at pennsylvaniaamwater.com/LeadFacts and self-report their service line material online or request assistance by calling 717-581-8599, emailing LeadFreePA@amwater.com or scheduling an appointment at calendly.com/LeadFreePA.
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