Workers in high-visibility vests are knocking on doors across Plymouth, Whitemarsh and Whitpain townships to figure out what's connecting your home to the water main. If it's lead, the utility will replace it for free.

Pennsylvania American Water announced July 27 that its contractor CDM Smith is actively canvassing the three townships as part of a broader effort to identify the material of every customer's water service line.

The program covers more than 30,000 customers across 11 municipalities in the utility's Norristown service area, where roughly 9,300 service lines still haven't been cataloged.

The stakes for homeowners: if a line is identified as lead or galvanized steel, Pennsylvania American Water will replace the customer-owned portion at no direct cost. The utility covers the work, pays for it, and provides a two-year warranty.

The homeowner keeps ownership of the new line.

"Customer involvement makes this work possible," Jim Runzer, vice president of operations for Pennsylvania American Water, said in the announcement posted on Whitemarsh Township's civic alert page. "Our goal is to catalog the material type of customers' service lines to help safeguard the quality of water for our customers."

How to verify the canvassers

CDM Smith representatives carry official Pennsylvania American Water photo ID badges and wear logoed vests. The utility urges residents to check identification before allowing anyone into their home.

Canvassing in the three townships is expected to wrap up in fall 2026. The program recently finished in Norristown Borough, East Norriton Township, and West Norriton Township.

Who's most at risk

Homes built before 1930 are more likely to have lead plumbing, and homes built before 1986 may have lead-soldered joints. A service line is the pipe running from the water main in the street to your building; the utility owns the section to the curb stop, and the property owner owns the rest.

Pennsylvania American Water says its water currently meets quality standards and that it treats water to prevent corrosion of service lines and household plumbing.

What to do if you miss the knock

Residents who aren't home can self-report their service line material online, view an interactive map at pennsylvaniaamwater.com/LeadFacts, or call the Lead Service Line Hotline at 717-581-8599 (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Appointments can also be scheduled at calendly.com/LeadFreePA or by emailing [email protected].

The effort supports the U.S. EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements issued in October 2024, which requires all water utilities to identify and publicly report the materials of both company-owned and customer-owned service lines. Statewide, Pennsylvania American Water has identified more than 50,000 service lines and replaced more than 3,400 customer-owned lead lines since the project began.