District Headquarters
50 Elm St., Dedham, MA 02026
During Office Hours:
781-329-7090
After Hours Emergency:
781-326-1250
50 Elm St., Dedham, MA 02026
781-329-7090
781-326-1250
The Water Service Line Inventory Project is a regulatory requirement of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) newly revised Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR).
In 2021, the EPA announced revisions to its existing lead and copper rule, including the addition of several new components:
The Dedham-Westwood Water District is required to comply with the LCRR by October 2024.
The District will create a publicly accessible inventory map and a replacement plan. Both documents will be submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).
A water service line is an underground pipe that supplies water to your property.
All service lines are connected to the District’s water mains, which is how your service line is supplied water.
Service line ownership is split between the District and the customer.
The District owns the portion of the service line from the water main to the curb stop (usually, the shut-off is located on the sidewalk or in your yard).
The customer owns their service line from the curb stop into their property.
Please reference the graphic below for a visual explanation.
Graphic Courtesy: Environmental Protection Agency
Please reference how to locate and identify your service line. This page includes step-by-step instructions, including a short video.
If your meter is located in a pit outside, please do not identify your service line from the pit. The district asks customers to locate where their service line enters their home through the foundation.
All water service line information must be submitted by the homeowner on our website.
Unfortunately, water service line information cannot be submitted via email or telephone.
Please submit all information to the District by November 30, 2023.
Yes. Please call our office to speak with our Customer Service Team at 781-329-7090.
After January 1, 2024, the District will be working with a third-party vendor to conduct walk-in inspections. Please be aware that if you do not submit the required information, you may receive a knock on your door from our third-party inspector to identify your water service line’s material.
It is possible that the District may have documented your property’s service line material from a recent appointment (meter change, water service line inspection, final water meter reading, etc.).
Over 1,200 service lines have been recorded by our customer service technicians.
Please look up your property on our service line inventory map to see if the District has identified your service line.
No. The District will only replace the District-owned portion of the service line.
As previously stated, service line ownership is split between the District and the customer.
The District owns the portion of the service line from the water main to the curb stop (usually, the shut-off is located on the sidewalk or in your yard).
The customer owns their service line from the curb stop into their property.
Please reference the graphic below for a visual explanation.
Graphic Courtesy: Environmental Protection Agency
If your service is galvanized iron, then it is, or was at some point, connected to our water main with a 12-18 inch lead connection piece. It is possible that this lead connection piece has leached lead onto the interior of the galvanized iron service, which could allow lead to be present in your drinking water. However, the District has implemented treatment techniques to help minimize this risk from occurring.
The District recommends replacing lead service lines as the best course of action to eliminate risk. Reference additional tips to reduce your exposure to lead.
According to the EPA, lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures.
Lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures are the most common lead sources in drinking water. In homes with lead pipes that connect the home to the water main, also known as lead services lines, these pipes are typically the most significant source of lead in the water.
Lead pipes are more likely found in older cities and homes built before 1986. Among homes without lead service lines, the most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and plumbing with lead solder.
Please reference information about the health effects of lead exposure from the:
If you have specific questions/concerns about how lead can affect your health, please contact your medical care provider.
Currently, testing is required to be conducted every three years.
View our most recent testing results from 2022.
