How to Identify a Lead Service Line in Pottstown, PA
Pottstown's pre-1930 housing has a high probability of lead or galvanized steel service connections. Here is how to check your pipe material yourself in 10 minutes, and what to do if you find lead.
What a service line is and why the material matters
The service line is the pipe that carries water from Pennsylvania American Water's main in the street into your home. It runs underground from the main at the curb through your yard, under the foundation wall, and into the basement or crawl space where it connects to your water meter and the interior supply system.
The material that line is made of matters because lead dissolves into water at low concentrations that have no taste or odor but are associated with serious health effects, particularly in young children and pregnant women. The EPA's action level for lead in drinking water is 15 parts per billion. A corroding lead service pipe can release lead at concentrations well above that level, especially in homes with soft water or after the water has been sitting in the pipe for several hours.
In Pottstown, lead was the dominant service line material from roughly 1880 through the mid-1930s. The borough's industrial-era development during that period means that pre-1940 properties have a meaningful probability of original lead connections. Some properties may also have galvanized steel service lines installed as a replacement during the mid-20th century; these can carry lead through a different mechanism, as internal scale in galvanized pipe absorbs lead from a previously lead-containing system and releases it later.
How to check your service line material yourself
The inspection takes about 10 minutes and requires nothing more than a flashlight, a coin or house key, and a small magnet. The pipe you are looking for enters your home through the foundation wall in the basement, typically on the street-facing side of the house. It is the first pipe entering from outside, upstream of the water meter.
Once you have located the pipe, follow this sequence. First, scratch the pipe surface lightly with the edge of the coin or key in a small spot. Do not use a screwdriver or anything that might damage the pipe; you are just removing surface oxidation from a small test area. Second, observe the exposed metal color. Third, hold the magnet against the pipe. The combination of color and magnet response identifies the material.
If the scratch reveals shiny bright silver metal under a dull gray exterior surface, and the magnet does not stick: the pipe is lead. Lead is soft and scratches easily to reveal the characteristic metallic silver color underneath its gray oxidized exterior. The magnet test confirms it: lead is not magnetic.
If the pipe is gray, the scratch shows a similar gray or rusty color, and the magnet sticks firmly: the pipe is galvanized steel. Galvanized steel is magnetic and scratches to show rusty gray or silver metal. It has a rougher texture than lead.
If the pipe is orange, reddish-brown, or golden and the magnet does not stick: the pipe is copper. Copper was the standard residential service line material from roughly the late 1940s through the mid-1990s. Copper service lines are generally not a lead concern.
If the pipe is black or dark blue and flexible: it is plastic, either polyethylene or PVC. Plastic service lines have no lead concern and are increasingly common in newer construction and in replacement projects.
Checking the Pennsylvania American Water service line record
Visual inspection only identifies the visible portion of your service line, which is the section inside your home from the foundation entry to the meter. Pennsylvania American Water maintains a service line material inventory for properties in its Pottstown service area. The inventory records both the utility-owned portion (from the main to the curb stop) and the homeowner-owned portion (curb stop to meter) where that information is known.
You can request your service line material record from PAW directly by calling their customer service line or by visiting their website and entering your address in the service line inventory lookup. If your record shows "lead" or "unknown" for either portion of the line, treat it as a lead pipe until confirmed otherwise.
Unknown records are common for properties where PAW has not yet physically inspected the utility-side portion. PAW is working through their distribution system to document and replace lead and galvanized lines, but that process takes time and not all properties have been inspected. If your address returns an "unknown" record and you live in a pre-1940 home, a visual inspection of the interior portion is the fastest way to get better information.
What to do if you find a lead service line
If your inspection or the PAW record confirms a lead service line, take these steps. Contact Pennsylvania American Water to report the finding and confirm the record is updated. Ask whether your address is currently in their lead service line replacement program queue and what the expected timeline is for utility-side work in your area. See our full guide on PAW's lead service line program for detail on how the utility program works.
Contact us for private-side lead service line replacement. The homeowner-owned portion, from the curb stop to your water meter, is your responsibility and is not covered by PAW's utility program. We replace the private-side lead service line with copper or PEX, coordinate with the Pottstown Borough Authority on the permit, and restore the yard and basement entry to match prior conditions.
Until the line is replaced, the EPA recommends flushing cold water from the kitchen tap for 30 to 60 seconds before using water for drinking or cooking, especially after the water has been sitting in the pipe for several hours. A certified NSF/ANSI 53 or NSF/ANSI 58 lead-reducing filter installed at the kitchen drinking tap provides additional protection at the point of use. These are interim measures, not substitutes for lead service line replacement.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check my service line material myself without calling a plumber?
Yes. The inspection requires no tools beyond a key or coin and a small magnet. Locate the pipe where it enters the foundation wall in your basement, scratch the surface lightly, and observe the color and magnet response. Shiny silver under dull gray with no magnet pull indicates lead. You can also look up your address in PAW's service line material inventory before the physical inspection.
My Pottstown home was built in 1925. How likely is it that I have a lead service line?
Very likely. Lead was the dominant residential service line material in the Pottstown area from approximately 1880 through 1935. Pre-1930 construction has a high probability of original lead service connections. If your home was built before 1940, visual inspection and a PAW record lookup are both worth doing.
What is the difference between the utility's portion and my portion of the service line?
PAW owns the service line from the water main to the curb stop valve, typically at or near the property line. You own the line from the curb stop into your home and to the water meter. PAW's program addresses the utility-owned portion; private-side replacement (curb stop to meter) is the homeowner's responsibility, which is what we handle.
What should I do if my service line is confirmed lead?
Contact PAW to update the record, ask about their replacement program timeline, and contact us for private-side replacement. Until the line is replaced, flush the cold tap for 30 to 60 seconds before using water for drinking or cooking, and consider a certified lead-reducing filter at the kitchen tap.
Have a lead service line in Pottstown? We handle private-side replacement from curb stop to meter, with Pottstown Borough permit coordination included.