Have you been running your cold tap every day?
This is called flushing your tap. Lead can dissolve into water when it sits in your property’s plumbing for more than 6 hours. Running your tap pushes the water that is sitting in your pipes out and down the drain until fresh water from the main reaches the tap. This is a simple and proven effective way of reducing the risks of your lead plumbing.
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What temp? Run fast, cold water from a faucet you use for drinking or cooking.
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How long? For 3 to 5 minutes.
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How often Any time water has been sitting in your pipes for more than 6 hours. We recommend running the tap first thing in the morning when you wake up. And if no one is home during the day, run it when you come home from work or school.
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The cost? Running your tap only costs pennies a day!
Watch our video instructions to see how it works!
What are service lines?
The service line is a pipe that carries water from the City’s main to your home. Even though City water mains are not made of lead, some service lines, especially in homes built before 1950, may be made of lead.
The service line includes two portions: the service side (from the City's main to the curb) and supply side (from curb to your meter). During a water meter upgrade at your property, we tested at the supply side near the water meter.
It’s a part of your property’s plumbing, even though it’s underground. If you own your property, the service line is your responsibility.
You can replace your lead service line (and we’ll help!)
Philadelphia homeowners can replace their lead service lines. The Homeowners Emergency Loan Program (HELP) is a zero-interest loan for homeowners who want to replace a water service line made of lead.
If you have a lead service line, you are eligible for a HELP loan. Using a HELP loan may require additional in-home confirmation of your lead service line.
Additionally, if the City is replacing the water main on your street and your water service line is made of lead, the City will replace your service line for free. You must give permission for the City to do this. We will notify residents by letter several months before work is scheduled to begin. You can also sign up here to receive construction notifications in your neighborhood.
Why am I receiving this email?
You are subscribed to receive ongoing updates, tips, and information specifically for customers with suspected lead service lines. Additionally, regulations require us to provide notification annually until we know your service line has been replaced or confirmed as non-lead.
If you replaced your lead service line following our first notification: Please disregard this message and email us at waterinfo@phila.gov to update our records.
More lead resources
No materials identification is 100% accurate. Further testing methods may be required to confirm the materials of the entire length of your service line.
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