Frequently Asked Questions

General Education

  • Water service lines are small pipes that carry water from the Passaic Valley Water Commission’s water mains, located in the streets, into individual homes and other buildings.

  • For property owners with the meter in a pit outside the home, Passaic Valley Water Commission is responsible for the service line from the main in the street to the curb box in the sidewalk. The property owner is responsible for the service line from the curb box to the meter inside the home. The meter is typically located in the basement.

  • Service lines can be made of lead, galvanized steel, plastic, brass, copper, cast iron or ductile iron.

  • Lead was commonly used for water service lines until 1960 and in household plumbing fixtures and solder until 1986, when it was banned. From 1986 to 2014, plumbing fixtures could have up to 8% lead to be categorized as “lead free.” However, current standards for “lead free” fixtures allow no more than 0.25% lead content.

    Many homes and buildings, especially those built before 1986, may have service lines and/or internal plumbing and fixtures that are made of or contain lead.

  • Passaic Valley Water Commission is:

    1. Working to remove all open reservoirs from their system.

    2. Conducting door-to-door inspections of 11,000 homes to find out if they have a lead service line

    3. Removing 6,500 lead service lines by 2025 in Paterson, Clifton, Passaic, and Prospect Park

    4. Checking the water system for lead twice a year in accordance with state and federal environmental regulations

    5. Using a corrosion control treatment system, which helps minimize the process of lead dissolving into the water from the service pipes and lead solder in household plumbing

    6. Testing the water on a weekly and monthly basis to ensure that the corrosion control treatment systems are working properly

    7. Providing free water testing and inspections to help customers find out if they have a lead service line on their property. To schedule an inspection, please contact PVWC's Customer Service Department at (973) 340-4300.

  • Lead can be found in paint, ceramics, pipes and plumbing materials, solders, gasoline, batteries, and cosmetics. Plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, fittings, etc.), indoor copper plumbing pipes contain lead solder.

  • All lead exposure has risk. Therefore, there is no safe level of lead. In collaboration with their customers, Passaic Valley Water Commission will remove all lead service lines in their service area as soon as possible to protect customers’ health and wellbeing.

  • Lead can get into drinking water from the plumbing inside your building or the service line between the street and your building. When water sits in the service line or your building's plumbing without being used for several hours, such as overnight, the lead may dissolve into the water.

    When water leaves PVWC’s water treatment plant, it is clean and lead-free. The water mains underground that transport water from the treatment plant do not add lead to the drinking water. Lead can get into drinking water from the service line between the street and your home, or from the lead solder used in the plumbing inside your home. When water sits in the service line or your home plumbing without being used for several hours, the lead may dissolve into the water.

  • If you think you have lead solder, flush your system by running cold water for about 5 minutes whenever the water in your home has not been used for more than 6 hours. A licensed plumber can also replace pipes that have lead solder with lead-free pipes.

  • Yes! You can buy a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) 53-certified water filtration system, which can be installed at the faucet, or a filter pitcher that will remove lead. A water filter installed at the faucet will remove lead that may have entered the water from the service line, indoor plumbing, and plumbing fixtures. Visit this website for more information about NSF filters and a list of certified filters.

Lead Safety Information

  • First find the water meter, which measures the amount of water entering your home for daily use. The water meter is most likely in your basement. The water service line is the pipe coming out of your water meter that connects it to the water main in the street. For help finding the water service line, call Passaic Valley Water Commission at (973) 340-4300.

  • If you think your service line is made of lead, please contact the Passaic Valley Water Commission at (973) 340-4300 so we can confirm and take action. If your service line is lead or galvanized steel, Passaic Valley Water Commission will provide you with a Right of Entry Form and one of our contractors will contact you to schedule an appointment. Replacements are now REQUIRED by law and FREE for residents in Clifton, Passaic, Paterson, and Prospect Park.

  • Many homes and buildings, especially those built before 1986, may have service lines and/or internal plumbing and fixtures that are made of or contain lead. A licensed plumber can help figure out if you have lead material in your indoor plumbing. You can also use an EPA-approved lead test kit, such as:

    List of EPA-approved lead test kits

    3M Lead Check Swabs

    If you think your service line is made of lead, please contact the Passaic Valley Water Commission at (973) 340-4300 so we can confirm and take action. Replacements are now REQUIRED by law and FREE for residents in Clifton, Passaic, Paterson, and Prospect Park.

  • A state-approved laboratory can test your water for lead. If the water testing results find lead levels at or greater than 15 parts per billion, contact Passaic Valley Water Commission at (973) 340-4300 to conduct an investigation for the cause of the high level. Passaic Valley Water Commission has the following state-approved laboratories:

    Accredited Analytical Resources, LLC, Carteret Boro: (732) 969-6112

    Eurofins Test America, Edison: (732) 593-2519

    SGS North America Inc., Dayton: (732) 329-0200

  • Search for your address in the “Service Line Material Lookup Tool” feature on this website by clicking here. You can type in your address to learn about the service line material that is in PVWC’s records. If your line is unknown, please call CDM Smith at (732)590-4612 to investigate. If you have a lead service line, please complete a Right of Entry Form.

Inspections

  • You should replace your lead service line to protect your personal health and your family’s health. No amount of lead is safe for humans to consume. Young children (under 6 years old) and the elderly can be more effected by lead exposure. They, along with pregnant women, may be at a higher public health risk to lead.

    Replacements are now REQUIRED by law and FREE for residents in Clifton, Passaic, Paterson, and Prospect Park. Please contact Passaic Valley Water Commission at (973) 340-4300 to begin the process.

  • There are three ways to sign up for the Lead Service Line Replacement Program:

    Online: You can sign up for the Lead Service Line Replacement Program by signing a Right of Entry Form

    Download a copy of the form: Download and complete the Right of Entry Form.

    Phone: Call the Customer Service Department at +1 (973) 340-4300 (ext. 2) and request a copy of the Right of Entry Form.

    In Person: You can pick up a form in person at 1525 Main Avenue, Clifton, NJ.

    Please return your completed forms to:

    1525 Main Avenue, Clifton NJ 07011, ATTN: Jenson Colonia – Lead Service Line Replacement Program

  • Passaic Valley Water Commission is prioritizing replacements based the factors below.

    • Areas with a high density of children

    • Sensitive populations

    • Overburdened communities

    • Environmental justice communities

    • Proximity to high lead results

    • High density of lead service lines

    • Locations of previous partial replacements

    • Service lines of unknown materials

    • Areas where water mains are being replaced

    • Previous participation in lead & copper sampling

    • Road moratoriums

  • After your lead service line is replaced, immediately perform the following steps to flush your home’s plumbing of debris that may have collected in your pipes during construction:

    1. Find all the faucets that will drain, including the basement and on all floors in your house.

    2. Remove aerators and screens whenever possible, including the shower heads, from all faucets you plan to flush. Include the laundry tubs, hose-bibs, bathtubs, and showers as flushing points.

    3. Open the faucets in the basement or lowest floor in the house. Leave all faucets running at highest rate possible, using cold water.

    4. Open the faucets on next highest floor of the house. Continue until faucets are open on all doors.

    5. After all faucets are opened, leave the water running for at least 30 minutes.

    6. After 30 minutes, turn on off the first faucet you opened and continue to turn off other faucets in the same order you turned them on.

    7. Clean aerators/screens at each faucet. You may need to replace screens/aerators if they are old or worn.

    Then, conduct a 30 minute flush every other week for three months.

    You can download and print this guidance document for more detailed flushing instructions.

  • PVWC’s Lead Service Line Replacement Contractor, Pacific Construction, will contact you to schedule a time to replace your lead or galvanized steel service line.

  • Passaic Valley Water Commission is doing a lead pipe replacement initiative to meet the New Jersey Legislation signed into law on July 22, 2021, to replace all lead and galvanized steel service lines by 2031. Although Passaic Valley Water Commission has replaced many of the lead pipes on the service line portion it owns, the new legislation includes galvanized pipes and replacing the customer-owned side. Utilities must replace the entire length of the lead or galvanized steel service line from the water main in the street to the connection inside the home. Currently this project is focused only on the towns of Paterson, Passaic, Prospect Park, and Clifton.

  • Lead particles can attach to the surface of galvanized pipes. Some galvanized pipes were made with lead in the pipe wall material. Over time, the particles can enter your drinking water.

  • Currently, PVWC’s Lead Service Line Replacement Program is FREE for residents of Passaic, Paterson, Clifton, and Prospect Park. If you live in these cities, Passaic Valley Water Commission will replace all lead and galvanized steel water service lines at no cost to the property owner or tenant. If the property owner chooses to not participate in the initiative, the property owner will need to pay for the future replacement.

    Currently, customers living in North Arlington, Lodi, High Crest, Post Brook, Woodland Park are required to pay for replacing a lead service line on private property if the portion of the service line within the public right-of-way (main to curb) is non-lead.

  • Yes if you are a resident of Passaic, Paterson, Clifton, and Prospect Park, you are required by law to replace your lead or galvanized steel service line. The local ordinances are posted here (link to the ordinance page). Homeowners and tenants are allowed to register for the program.

Lead Service Line Replacement

  • Exposure to high levels of lead is a serious health risk. Lead builds up in the body over many years and can cause damage to the brain, red blood cells, and kidneys. The greatest risk is to young children, pregnant women, and unborn babies. Amounts of lead that will not harm adults can slow down the normal mental and physical development of children, particularly those under 6 years old.

  • You can take several actions to decrease your lead exposure, including:

    • Replacing your lead service line.

    • Getting a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF)-Certified home water treatment device, faucet, or pitcher filter that removes lead. The device must be both NSF 42- and NSF 53-certified to remove lead. Devices and filters installed at the faucet will remove any lead contained in indoor plumbing and plumbing fixtures.

    • Buying plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, sinks, hose bibs, etc.) that have zero- or low-lead content meeting the current “lead-free” requirements. Read the labels of any new plumbing fixtures closely.

    • Running tap water for about five minutes before you use it for drinking or cooking, if the water has gone unused for more than 6 hours. In doing so, you are flushing the stagnated water and getting fresh water from the water main pipe.

    • Using fresh, cold, running water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula.

    • Removing and cleaning faucet screens and aerators every 6 months.

    DO NOT boil water to remove lead. Boiling water does not remove lead and can increase lead concentration in water.

  • Yes. Human skin does not absorb lead in water. Bathing and showering should be safe for you and your children, even if the water contains lead over EPA’s action level.

  • • Visit the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule website:

    • Visit the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP)’s Lead and Copper Rule website

  • Not necessarily. If you live in a building that was built before 1986, it is possible that your plumbing fixtures contain lead or lead solder was used at the joints of your interior piping. A licensed plumber can help figure out if you have lead material in your indoor plumbing, or you can use an EPA-approved lead test kit:

    • List of EPA-approved lead test kits

    • 3M Lead Check Swabs

  • You may want to consider purchasing bottled water or a water filter. If purchasing a water filter, read the packaging to be sure that the filter is approved to reduce lead. You can also contact NSF International at 800-NSF-8010 or visit their website here for information on performance standards for water filters. Be sure to maintain and replace a filter device in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions to protect water quality.

Heath Information