09/16/2025
Beginning Tuesday, September 30 through Thursday, October 2, the Hammonton Water Department will be going door-to-door to offer free inspections of residential drinking water service lines to develop a more complete inventory of Hammonton Water Department’s water service line materials.
Water service lines are the pipes that carry water from water mains in the street to the Town of Hammonton’s homes, schools, and other buildings. This is part of an ongoing effort to identify and replace water service lines in the system that are made of or could contain lead.
💧 Inspections Will Help Identify and Develop a Plan to Replace Lead Service Lines
Lead is a naturally occurring metal that was used in some plumbing fixtures and water service lines before this practice was banned in the late 1980s. When clean drinking water passes through service lines made of or containing lead, the lead can be released into the water. Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause learning and behavioral problems in infants and children, including children of women exposed to lead before or during pregnancy. In adults, lead exposure can increase the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and nervous system problems. More information is available at https://www.nj.gov/dep/watersupply/dwc-lead.html and Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water | US EPA: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water
The Town of Hammonton is required by state and federal law to inventory water service lines and replace service lines made of or containing lead. This includes galvanized steel lines that could have been downstream of a lead pipe at one time. The Hammonton Water Department completed an initial inventory of its water service line materials in October 2024. The door-to-door inspection effort will focus on identifying the materials of service lines currently listed in the inventory as “unknown.” The water service line inventory is available by clicking here: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/208e422229754e1eb9bd8909fe91a97c
To help with the water service line inventory and lead service line replacement planning, the Hammonton Water Department has partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under EPA’s Get the Lead Out (GLO) Initiative. Through this initiative, Hammonton Water Department is receiving technical assistance from EPA contractors, including assistance with the service line inspection effort. To learn more about the GLO Initiative, please visit https://www.epa.gov/water-infrastructure/get-lead-out-initiative
💧 Inspections Are Quick and Free
Water service lines include a public section owned by the Town of Hammonton that runs from the water main to a shut-off valve near the property line, and a private section owned by the building owner that runs from the shut-off valve into the building. In-home inspections allow the water system to identify the material on the private side of the service line where it enters the building. From Tuesday, September 30 through Thursday, October 2, teams will visit homes where the private-side water service line material is unknown. Teams will consist of 2-4 people wearing fluorescent utility vests and “Get the Lead Out” badges with their names. All teams will be accompanied by a member of the Hammonton Water Department.
Teams will ask for permission from the residents to inspect their water service lines. If the resident agrees, team members will locate the water service line where it enters the house, which is usually in the basement, and conduct a quick and simple visual inspection of the water service line. Inspections will be completed in less than 5 minutes and will not disrupt the water service. Information from the inspection will be used to update the Town of Hammonton’s official water service line inventory.
💧 For questions or additional information, please contact the Hammonton Water Department at (609) 567-4300 Ext. 120.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.townofhammonton.org/municipal-utilities/
