Veolia Water New Jersey Lead Service Program

Information regarding lead and your water service

Introduction

Lead and copper enters drinking water primarily through plumbing materials. In 2017, the EPA revised the lead and copper rule with the goal of reducing the risks of lead exposure for children and communities by improving protection of children at schools and childcare facilities, getting the lead out of our nation's drinking water, and empowering communities through information.

Veolia is committed to protecting residents and families from lead through our comprehensive Lead Reduction Program.

Lead Reduction Program Update

Lead levels are at historic lows in the system that serves Bergen and Hudson counties after a four-year $120 million project to attack lead on many fronts. Testing shows lead levels at 5.5 parts per billion, well below the state and federal action level of 15 ppb and the 18.4 ppb the system recorded in late 2018. In fact, the current results are the lowest recorded in at least the 30 years since the federal Environmental Protection Agency established rules for testing for lead in water. In the field and in the lab, we’re working to protect residents and families across New Jersey. While our crews are in the streets removing thousands of lead service lines every year, our water quality experts are working to enhance corrosion treatment, which coats pipes to prevent lead from entering the water. Here’s a video of one our crews replacing a lead service line.

Service Line Material Lookup

Lead isn’t present in the water at the treatment plant or in the water mains. However, a small percentage of service lines are made of lead. Veolia has developed a map for you to search within our New Jersey service areas to discover what the service line material is at your specific address. If the customer side of your service is marked as unknown, continue to the section below to see the self identify survey.

Common Water Service Locations

Self Identify Survey

We have created a simple survey that will walk you through the steps of identifying your service line material. Click on the button below to fill out the self identify survey. At the end of the survey, please attach a picture of your service line material using the upload tool before submitting. If you have questions regarding the survey or need assistance completing it, please contact our NJ Customer Service Center at (800) 422-5987.

Exposure in the Home

Lead paint, lead dust, and contaminated soil are the most common sources of exposure to lead. Lead can also enter the tap water through corrosion of plumbing materials in your home. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures, and solder since the federal ban only went into effect that year. After 1986 in New Jersey, all structures were required to meet the federal lead ban for any plumbing materials that touch drinking water.

Common Reasons for Lead Diagram

Health Effects of Lead

Although most lead exposure occurs from contaminated dust, soil, or paint, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) estimates that 10 to 20 percent of human exposure may come from drinking water. Lead is rarely found in the source of your drinking water, but enters tap water by corrosion of materials containing lead. Where present, lead service lines are typically the most significant source of lead in the water. 

New brass faucets, fittings, and valves, including those advertised as “lead-free” may still contain a small percentage of lead. The law currently allows end use brass fixtures, such as faucets, with up to 0.25 percent lead to be labeled as “lead free”. However, prior to 2011, “lead free” allowed up to 8 percent lead content of the wetted surfaces of plumbing products including those labeled as National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) certified. Visit the NSF website at  www.nsf.org  to learn more about lead-containing plumbing fixtures. Consumers should be aware of this when choosing fixtures and take appropriate precautions.

When water stands in lead service lines or plumbing systems for several hours or more, the lead may dissolve into your drinking water. This means the first water drawn from the tap in the morning, or later in the afternoon if the water has not been used all day, can contain higher levels of lead.

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

  1. Run the cold water to flush out lead. Let the water run from the tap before using it for drinking or cooking any time the water in the faucet has gone unused for more than six hours. The longer the water resides in plumbing, the more lead it may contain. Flushing the tap means running the cold-water faucet. Flushing tap water is a simple and inexpensive measure you can take to protect your health. It usually uses less than a gallon of water.
  2. Use cold, flushed water for cooking and preparing baby formula. Because lead from lead-containing plumbing materials and pipes can dissolve into hot water more easily than cold water, never drink, cook, or prepare beverages including baby formula using hot water from the tap.
  3. Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead; however, it is still safe to wash dishes and do laundry. Lead will not soak into dishware or most clothes.
  4. Use alternative sources of treatment of water. You may want to consider purchasing a water filter. Read the package to be sure the filter is approved to reduce lead or contact NSF International at 800-NSF-8010 or  www.nsf.org  for information on performance standards for water filters.
  5. Determine if you have any interior lead plumbing or solder. If your home/building was constructed before 1991 in New Jersey, it is important to determine if interior lead solder or lead pipes are present. You can check yourself, hire a licensed plumber, or check with your landlord.
  6. Replace plumbing fixtures and service lines containing lead. Replace brass faucets, fittings, and valves that do not meet the current definition of “lead free” from 2011 (as explained above). Visit the NSF website at www.nsf.org to learn more about lead-containing plumbing fixtures. If you are planning to replace your lead service line, contact Veolia Customer Service at (888) 299-8972.
  7. Remove and clean aerators/screens on plumbing fixtures. Over time, particles and sediment can collect in the aerator screen. Regularly remove and clean aerators screens located at the tip of faucets and remove any particles.
  8. Test your water for lead. Testing is essential because you cannot see, taste, or smell lead in drinking water. To find a list of certified potable water testing laboratories in New Jersey, visit  https://www.epa.gov/dwlabcert/contact-information-certification-programs-and-certified laboratories-drinking-water  and scroll to the map with the associated search feature.
  9. Have an electrician check your wiring. Grounding wires from the electrical system attached to pipes can increase corrosion. Check with a licensed electrician or your local electrical code to determine if your wiring can be grounded elsewhere. 
  10. Water softeners and reverse osmosis units will remove lead from water but can also make the water more corrosive to lead solder and plumbing by removing certain minerals. The installation of these treatment units at the point of entry into homes with lead plumbing should only be done under supervision of a qualified water treatment professional.

AWWA: Together, Let's Get the Lead Out

For more information about the Lead and Copper Rule in New Jersey please visit  https://www.nj.gov/dep/lead/replacement.html 

Common Water Service Locations

Common Reasons for Lead Diagram