Engaging with the Community on Lead Service Lines

Lead service lines (LSLs) are a primary source of lead in drinking water in communities around the country. The resources below provide water systems with effective strategies for engaging with their community, guides to identifying LSLs, and outreach materials for educating and coordinating with the community once LSLs are identified.

On this page:

• Informing the Public About the Impacts of Lead in Drinking Water
• Engaging with the Community to Identify and Replace Lead Service Lines
• Informing Customers on How to Reduce Lead Exposure
• Community Engagement Case Studies

Informing the Public About the Impacts of Lead in Drinking Water

EPA’s Lead in Drinking Water website provides information for customers to learn about how lead gets into drinking water, the health effect of lead, how to determine if lead is in your drinking water, how to reduce lead in drinking water, and more.

Lead in Drinking Water Infographic. Learn basic information about sources of lead in drinking water, suggestions for reducing exposure and information about replacing lead service lines.

State Example Resources

• Connecticut Department of Public Health: Lead in Drinking Water (fact sheet)  https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Departments-and-Agencies/DPH/dph/environmental_health/lead/preventlead/LeadinDrinkingWaterv333116pdf.pdf?la=en
• New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services: Lead Frequently Asked Questions (website). https://www.des.nh.gov/water/drinking-water/lead-drinking-water/faqs
• Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection: .Is there lead in my tap water? (website) https://www.mass.gov/guides/is-there-lead-in-my-tap-water
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services: Lead in Drinking Water Safety Tips (video). https://youtu.be/3xnviclYtZs

Engaging with the Community to Identify and Replace Lead Service Lines

Resources to Identify Lead Service Lines and Accelerate Lead Service Line Replacement

EPA has developed four example template outreach materials for systems to inform and engage customers in Lead Service Line Replacement Projects in their community. These templates serve as a starting point for water systems, utilities, or communities to customize to their needs. The materials can be used together or a system can pick and choose what templates they need.  

• The Drinking Water Lead Reduction Program Frequently Asked Questions is a template that compiles frequently asked questions about reducing lead exposure from drinking water.  Drinking Water Lead Reduction Program Frequently Asked Questions (Version 1) (docx) (300.68 KB, 4/24/2024)  

• Identifying Lead Service Lines: Help Us Get the Lead Out is a template for water systems to explain to their customers why and how they are active in the community identifying lead service lines, how the customer can help, and what the customer can expect in regard to lead service line inventory in the future.   Identifying Lead Service Lines Help Us Get the Lead Out (Version 1) (docx) (381.95 KB, 4/24/24)

• The Customer Guide for Identifying Service Lines is a template that can walk customers through identifying what kind of service line material they have in their home (i.e., self-inventory).   Customer Guide for Identifying Service Lines (Version 1) (docx) (389.76 KB, 4/24/2024)

• Drinking Water Service Line Material Reporting Form is a template that water systems can use if they choose to collect service line material information via customer self-inventory. This material can be utilized to develop into a webpage or app as well.    Drinking Water Service Line Material Reporting Form (Version 1) (docx) (54.89 KB, 4/24/2024)

Please note: these materials and templates may be updated in the future, keep this in mind and download materials at the time you intend to develop these products. 

If you have any questions regarding these products, please email:  safewater@epa.gov

Protect Your Tap

EPA’s Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead is an online step-by-step guide to help people identify lead pipes, called lead service lines, in their homes. It also provides tips on actions to reduce lead exposure in drinking water, information on certified laboratories for water testing, and resources to learn more. Try this Interactive Guide that can assist homeowners in identifying likely LSLs in the home.

• You can learn about how this guide was developed and toolkits for sharing with others on the Protect Your Tap outreach page.
• Learn how New Hampshire staff used the Protect Your Tap guide to promote discussions with town leaders and prioritize service line inventories:  NH Campaign to Share the Guide (pdf) (821.86 KB)

Find more information on identifying lead service lines here.

Find more information on planning for lead service line replacement here.

Informing Customers on How to Reduce Lead Exposure

Visit EPA’s List of Lead in Drinking Water Outreach Resources for more EPA and state resources on sampling for lead and copper in drinking water, proper use and installation of water filters, cleaning faucet aerators, and more.

Water Testing

• Customers can learn how to sample for lead and copper in their own home and provide that information to the water system by watching this video. Sampling for Lead and Copper in Drinking Water at Home.
• Customer FAQs for testing their water at their homes.
• EPA’s Comprehensive Tool Kit regarding Lead Testing in Schools. 

Water Filters

• Consumer Tool for Identifying POU Drinking Water Filters Certified to Reduce Lead. Point of use (POU) drinking water filters are used to remove impurities from water at the point that it is actually being used. This tool provides the certification bodies’ approved marks and the text that indicates a filter has been certified for lead reduction capabilities.

Community Engagement Case Studies

Videos

EPA’s video, Getting the Lead Out of Drinking Water by Replacing Residential LSLs, shows how two communities financed the removal of lead service lines on private property and their collaboration with the community. 

Lead Service Line Replacement Webinars

EPA’s Office of Water hosted a series of quarterly webinars highlighting challenges and successes in lead service line identification and replacement. The webinar series showcased how states and public water systems have successfully identified lead service lines and shared that information with the public to raise awareness about the presence of lead service lines in their communities. Click here to view the 2019 webinars.