Baltimore Co. Residents May Soon Need Water Line Repairs

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Residents in Baltimore County may soon receive a notice about water service lines that need to be replaced.

The Baltimore County Department of Public Works and Transportation said Thursday that the notices will be dispatched to residents whose lines either require repairs or remain unverified in local records.

Through the county's Lead Reduction Program, water service lines would be replaced at no cost to residents.

Officials say residents have three ways to identify their pipes and determine whether they need repair. Those options include:

• Submitting a self-reporting survey (and viewing tutorial videos for help locating their water service line or doing the scratch and magnet test).
• Scheduling a free in-home inspection with a member of the Lead Reduction Program team by calling (410) 887-1368 or emailing waterserviceline@baltimorecountymd.gov.

For lines that cannot be identified from inside the house, residents can allow DPWT to dig a small test pit near the exterior water meter.

Test pit investigations are expected this fall.

The advisory is part of an annual initiative that falls under the Environmental Protection Agency's Lead and Copper Rule.