Baltimore City Department of Public Works urges residents to check and report water service lines

Baltimore City Department of Public Works instructed residents and businesses to locate their water service line where it enters a building, perform a simple scratch-and-magnet test to check the pipe material, photograph the result, and submit the photos and answers through a self-reporting survey.

The department explained that a water service line "is a pipe that carries water from the main through the meter and into your house" and said the line is usually found where it enters the home—through the foundation wall in basements or utility areas. The agency added that other utility pipes may be nearby, that the water service line is typically less than 1 inch in diameter, and that there is usually a shut-off valve near the entry point.

Officials advised residents to "take photos of the pipe at this location with the scratch mark visible and the magnet if it sticks and then upload them to the self-reporting survey." If a basement is finished, the pipe is visible but cannot be reached, or the entry point is otherwise inaccessible, the department instructed homeowners to note the reason they were unable to complete the scratch-and-magnet test on the survey.

For more information and to submit survey responses, the department directed residents to the Service Line Partnership website or to contact 311 in Baltimore City or 443-263-2220 in Baltimore County. The department presented the survey and testing steps as the primary way for residents and businesses to report service-line material information to city programs.