Lead Water Line Replacement Continuing In Howell

HOWELL, NJ — New Jersey American Water is continuing to work on replacing lead water service lines in towns across the state, including Howell.

The water company started replacing lead service lines in 2022 in response to state mandates requiring all water utility providers replace both utility-owned and customer-owned lead and galvanized service lines by 2031.

This year the company plans to use "predictive modeling" to reduce the number of in-person inspections to identify lead service lines and streamline replacements.

"In towns across our service area, we have been able to systematically identify and replace thousands of lead and galvanized steel service lines for our customers," said Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water. "While the work continues, I am proud of the progress we’ve made and the program we’ve built," which includes contacting customers by email and direct mail, door-to-door canvassing, and an array of content to reach and educate residents about the existence and the replacement efforts.

New Jersey American Water customers who suspect they have lead or galvanized pipes can either schedule an inspection or self-identify their water line materials.

The inspections are performed by CDM Smith contractors, the water company said. You can schedule an appointment online or call CDM Smith at 732-590-4700. Official CDM Smith canvassers will introduce themselves and the program to property owners, and will then ask to enter the home to inspect the customer’s water service line.

The inspection is very simple and generally takes 15 minutes or less. The inspector will take exterior photos of the property and interior photographs of the service material and record the pipe material identified.

If customers prefer to not have a CDM Smith canvasser conduct the test, they can support this effort by running a simple test to self-identify their water service line material and submitting a short survey. They can follow three easy steps:

1. Watch this brief video to learn how to locate and identify their water service line.
2. Follow step-by-step instructions to locate the service line and identify the material.
3. Snap a picture and complete the survey to self-report the service line to New Jersey American Water.

For additional information, New Jersey American has a webpage with facts about lead pipes and the program.