California leads nation with no reported lead service lines in drinking water systems

SACRAMENTO – The State Water Resources Control Board today announced the launch of an interactive, publicly searchable map allowing Californians to check whether their drinking water service line contains lead. The new tool underscores California’s strong standing in lead service line remediation and transparency, with the latest statewide inventory showing no lead reported in nearly 10 million service connections.

“Today we are proud to provide Californians with the means of checking their drinking water infrastructure for reports of lead,” said Darrin Polhemus, deputy director of the State Water Board’s Division of Drinking Water. “With no confirmed lead service lines out of the millions reported so far, California leads the nation. The new map empowers consumers, builds trust, and marks another step in our commitment to safe, lead-free drinking water.”

Compared to the dearth of lead lines in California, U.S. EPA estimates up to 9 million homes nationwide are connected to lead service lines, with approximately 2 million lead service lines reported to date. Under the federal rule, Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), all community and non-transient non-community water systems were required to submit a service-line inventory by Oct. 16, 2024. The board compiled data submitted by California water systems for that inventory to create the searchable map.

Water systems reported that about 600,000 service lines, or about 6% of the state’s current inventory, are made of unknown materials that require further analysis. The board expects that only a very small percentage of these may contain lead, if any.

Lead service lines — the pipe from the water main into the home — are often the most significant source of lead in tap water. California’s extraordinarily low number of lead service lines is an indicator of the state’s proactive efforts and favorable circumstances going back decades. Historically, there was minimal use of lead service pipes in many jurisdictions.

The inventory does not reflect piping, solder and fixtures inside a building that may have lead components that can corrode over time. Customers are encouraged to ensure their plumbing fixtures and interior piping are certified lead-free, especially if installed before 2010. In California, the highest occurrences of housing-related sources of lead exposure among children are deteriorated lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust and soils.

While many states are grappling with large inventories of confirmed lead service lines, California is far ahead of the curve—the new public map is a tool that will allow water customers to feel confident about the high quality and safety of their drinking water service lines.

Background:

Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, as implemented by the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) in 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required water systems to monitor lead and copper at consumers’ taps. In January 2021, the EPA announced new requirements, including a detailed inventory of service-line materials (lead, galvanized requiring replacement, non-lead, or unknown); public accessibility of the inventory, especially for larger systems; and replacement of lead service lines within a published timeframe.

Lead is a potent neurotoxin and there is no safe level of exposure. When water flows through or sits in contact with lead service lines, lead can leach into drinking water—especially in cases of corrosive water, changes in water source, or aged infrastructure.

The health impacts of lead on infants and children include decreases in IQ and attention span. Adults may experience increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems because of lead exposure.

More information about California’s lead service line inventory as well as asked questions that include tips for the public to avoid lead exposure can be found on the board’s website.

The State Water Board’s mission is to preserve, enhance and restore the quality of California’s water resources and drinking water for the protection of the environment, public health, and all beneficial uses, and to ensure proper resource allocation and efficient use for the benefit of present and future generations