Customer Service Line Survey
Lehigh County Authority needs your help to complete an inventory of all water service line pipes connected to the public system.
Check your home for lead pipes, then complete our online survey to tell us what you find, no matter what type of pipes you find!
Why does LCA need information about the water service pipe material in my home?
EPA Regulatory Changes for Drinking Water
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first established a lead and copper rule in 1991 to help reduce exposure and associated health effects from lead in drinking water. EPA revised the rule in 2021, requiring action by water service providers across the country. By 2024, all water utilities are required to determine where lead pipes exist in their systems, including the pipes on the customer side that connect to the public system.
Lehigh County Authority (LCA) has an inventory of our underground infrastructure, which helps us manage maintenance and prioritization of repair and replacement of pipes. We are working proactively to determine the location of any remaining pipes that are composed of lead or unknown material and mapping their locations. We need the cooperation of our customers to help us complete the inventory, showing all private side connections and pipe materials.
The information provided will help us meet regulatory requirements, as well as apply for infrastructure grants available later this year!
We Need Your Help!
Please complete our online Service Line Survey to inform us of the material used for the water service line coming into your property. It is the pipe connected to your water meter. If you are not sure of the material, use our instructions to test the material, then complete the survey.
*If you are unable to access the survey tool on a computer or a smartphone, please call our Customer Care Team for assistance.
Follow the steps outlined below and use the information on this page to help you complete the survey.
To access the survey on your computer click here to OPEN THE SURVEY. You can also use your smartphone camera to scan the code below and open the survey:
- Read our guide to help you determine the pipe material type.
- Complete the fields and select the options to describe your property.
- If you don’t know the year your dwelling was built, use the appropriate county assessment records website to find out.
- For Lehigh County Assessment Records, type your address in the fields provided, then enter the code shown on the screen. Press search and then verify you are seeing the correct address. Scroll to the section titled “basic residential profile” and see YEAR BUILT.
- For Northampton County Assessment Records, type your address in the fields provided and then submit. Verify you are seeing the correct address. Select “Residential” in the left navigation and see the “year built” on the top of the page.
- For Lehigh County Assessment Records, type your address in the fields provided, then enter the code shown on the screen. Press search and then verify you are seeing the correct address. Scroll to the section titled “basic residential profile” and see YEAR BUILT.
- If the pipe material is lead or unknown, take a photo of the pipes where they enter your residence from the street. Upload the photo to the survey.
- Submit the survey.
Learn More About Lead in Drinking Water
We have a webpage dedicated to how lead gets into drinking water. Check it out here: Lead in Drinking Water. The drinking water from LCA’s water sources (creeks, springs, and wells) is lead-free. When water has contact with lead pipes or plumbing fixtures, lead can leach into drinking water.
If your service line is lead or unknown material, take steps to reduce the potential for lead in your drinking water. If the pipe material is unknown, it is safest to assume it is lead until confirmed otherwise. Download LCA Fact Sheet # 3: Easy Ways to Reduce Lead Exposure: Rinse Your Pipes & Clean Your Aerators.
What is LCA Doing About Lead Service Lines?
Building the inventory of our infrastructure, including customers’ service line materials that are connected to the public system, is the first step in this process. Identifying where lead pipes exist on the customer side can help us determine where lead may exist on the water system side.
In the future, LCA will share the pipe inventory online and provide information on our plan to remove public lead lines. We will also communicate the actions customers can take to address lead pipes on the private, property owner side.