Updates
A plain-English summary of the lead-in-water changes that actually affect homeowners — the 2027 rule, the revised national estimate, public inventories, and annual reports — with what each one means for you and what to do next.
Deadline · Nov 2027
Water systems must inventory and replace lead service lines, and the lead action level drops from 15 to 10 ppb. If your line is lead, get on your utility’s replacement list and filter in the meantime.
Estimate · 2024
Down from roughly 9 million, after utilities reclassified many “unknown” lines as non-lead. It does not mean your home is clear — “unknown” still means verify.
Every July
Community water systems publish results by July 1. The report describes the system, not your tap — here is how to read it without false comfort.
Now public
Most utilities now publish an address lookup showing lead, galvanized, unknown, or non-lead. Search yours and save the result.
By city
Newark replaced about 23,000 lines in under three years; Chicago has the largest backlog in the country. Check what your own city is actually doing.
Do this now