MassDEP explains how homeowners can identify and replace lead service lines

Denene Simpson, director of environmental justice at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, opened a MassDEP briefing in which agency staff explained how residents can identify and replace lead service lines and where to seek help.

Jessica Sebersky, MassDEP’s lead-in-drinking-water team lead, said, "A lead service line is a pipe made of lead that connects your house or building to the water main in the street." She urged residents to take the risk seriously, quoting public-health guidance: "lead is a toxic metal, and the Center for Disease Control in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health says that lead is toxic to the human brain, blood, nervous system, and kidneys, and the greatest risk of lead exposure is to infant, young children, and pregnant women."

The information was presented as a how-to and resource briefing rather than a policy vote or regulatory action. MassDEP staff described practical steps residents and plumbers can take to determine whether a service line contains lead, the usual division of ownership for service lines, and local funding options for replacement.

Sebersky described identification techniques: "Lead service lines are generally dull gray color, and they are very soft. So you can identify them by carefully scratching with a key. On a lead pipe, what will happen is the area you have scratched will turn a bright silver color." She cautioned residents not to use knives or other sharp instruments and to avoid puncturing the pipe. Sebersky also noted that the federal Lead and Copper Rule requires public water systems to create a service-line inventory that identifies lead service lines.

On ownership, Sebersky said homeowners and local water departments "usually share ownership of the service line," with homeowners typically owning the section on private property and bearing responsibility for replacement of that portion. She also said some Massachusetts cities and towns are offering full replacements at no cost to homeowners or other incentives, and she advised residents to contact their public water supplier to learn about local funding options.

Nisheila Porter, Bureau of Water Resources environmental justice coordinator, described her role in supporting communities and increasing public involvement in water-related MassDEP efforts. She gave a point of contact for environmental-justice questions and additional resources and encouraged community members to reach out for assistance.

The briefing included contact guidance rather than formal commitments or directives from the agency. Sebersky directed residents with questions about lead service lines or the drinking water program to contact MassDEP’s drinking water program as spoken during the session; Porter provided a separate contact for environmental-justice inquiries.

No motions, votes, or formal board actions occurred during the recorded briefing. The presentation served to explain health risks, offer identification methods, clarify typical ownership responsibilities, and point residents toward local water suppliers and MassDEP for funding and technical support.