Lead In Drinking Water In Maryland
What residents of Maryland need to know about lead in drinking water — including how it enters water, which utilities have documented violations, and what steps to take.
Source: EPA SDWIS, Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), CDC · Last reviewed: 2025-01-01
Quick Answer
Is lead in drinking water a real concern in Maryland?
Yes — Baltimore has one of the most documented lead service line problems on the East Coast, with tens of thousands of lead service lines in its older residential neighborhoods.
Is this mostly a public-water issue, a private-well issue, or both?
Both public water service lines and household plumbing; Baltimore concentrates the most severe risk, while older communities in Annapolis, Frederick, and Hagerstown also have pre-1986 infrastructure.
What is the main reason residents should care?
Baltimore's housing stock includes massive concentrations of pre-1920 rowhouses with original lead service lines and lead solder throughout the plumbing. The city has launched a lead service line replacement program, but the scale of the inventory means replacement will take years.
Key Facts
| Federal Lead Action Level | 15 µg/L — no safe level per CDC |
| Baltimore LSL inventory | Tens of thousands of lead service lines — one of the largest inventories on the East Coast |
| Housing profile | Dense pre-1920 rowhouses throughout Baltimore's older neighborhoods |
| Environmental justice | Baltimore's lead-affected neighborhoods are primarily lower-income and communities of color |
| State oversight | Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) |
Why This Matters in Maryland
Baltimore is one of the oldest and most densely built cities in the Mid-Atlantic, with large neighborhoods of pre-Civil War and early 20th century rowhouses. Areas like Sandtown-Winchester, Upton, East Baltimore, and Pimlico have extremely high concentrations of original lead service lines and interior lead plumbing. The Baltimore City Department of Public Works and Baltimore City Health Department have engaged in lead service line identification and replacement efforts. MDE enforces the Lead and Copper Rule statewide and requires utilities to maintain lead service line inventories. Baltimore's older neighborhoods are also environmental justice communities where lead exposure intersects with housing disinvestment and other health burdens.
Historical Context
Baltimore has one of the largest known inventories of lead service lines among mid-sized U.S. cities. The city launched a lead service line replacement initiative and has worked with USEPA and advocacy groups on accelerating replacement in high-risk neighborhoods.
Maryland Utilities With Lead Violation Records
The utilities listed below have at least one lead violation on record in EPA's SDWIS database. Violations may be open or resolved — see individual utility pages for current status and risk level.
Glen Burnie-broadneck
Maryland · 290,606 served
Howard County D.p.w. Distribution
Maryland · 286,158 served
Harford County D.p.w.
Maryland · 104,567 served
Waldorf - Charles County Dpw
Waldorf · 84,296 served
Crofton-odenton
Maryland · 62,986 served
Fort George G. Meade
Maryland · 62,234 served
City of Rockville
Rockville · 52,000 served
Lexington Park
Maryland · 43,030 served
City of Westminster
Maryland · 35,256 served
City of Salisbury
Maryland · 30,343 served
How Lead Gets Into Drinking Water
Lead service lines
The pipe connecting a home to the water main may be made of lead, especially in pre-1986 construction. Water sitting in these lines can accumulate lead before it reaches the tap.
Lead solder
Lead solder at pipe joints was banned for potable water systems in 1986. Homes built before that date — including significant portions of older Maryland cities — may still have lead solder throughout their plumbing.
Older brass fixtures
Faucets, valves, and fixtures with high lead content were common before the 2014 revision of 'lead-free' standards. Replacing older fixtures at kitchen and drinking taps can meaningfully reduce exposure.
Corrosive water chemistry
Soft, acidic, or low-alkalinity water dissolves lead from plumbing more readily. Utilities use orthophosphate and other corrosion control treatments, but household plumbing after the meter is not within their control.
Who Should Pay Closest Attention
Children in Baltimore's older rowhouse neighborhoods — particularly in rental housing — face elevated lead exposure risk from both lead paint and lead plumbing. Families with children under six in pre-1950 Baltimore homes should use a certified NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 filter and request service line information from Baltimore City DPW.
Families with children under six
Pregnant residents
Households in homes built before 1986
Renters who cannot inspect building plumbing
Residents on a confirmed lead service line
Households that had plumbing work done recently (disturbances dislodge protective scale)
How to Check Your Situation in Maryland
- 1
Identify your water utility. Use the ZIP lookup below or browse the Maryland utility directory on this site.
- 2
Read your utility's page on this site to see its current risk level and any open lead violations.
- 3
Contact your utility and ask for your address-level service line material status. Under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), utilities must maintain and provide this information.
- 4
Review your utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) — mailed annually or available on the utility's website.
- 5
Consider testing your tap water at a Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE)-certified lab. Your state health department or Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) maintains a list of certified labs.
- 6
If you have young children or are pregnant, install a certified NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 filter at the kitchen tap as a precautionary measure.
Treatment Options
Boiling does not remove lead. Use a certified filter for drinking and cooking water.
NSF/ANSI Standard 53 — Activated Carbon Block
Under-sink or pitcher filters certified to Standard 53 are independently verified to reduce lead. Replace filters on the manufacturer's schedule — an overdue filter may not perform as certified.
NSF/ANSI Standard 58 — Reverse Osmosis
RO systems certified to Standard 58 remove 95–99% of lead and a broad range of contaminants. Requires under-sink installation. More comprehensive than Standard 53 for households with multiple contaminant concerns.
Flushing — temporary mitigation only
EPA recommends flushing the cold tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes if water has sat in pipes for 6+ hours. Not a substitute for certified filtration or service line replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Pages
Lead — National Overview
All U.S. utilities with lead records
Maryland State Overview
All utilities and water quality data
Nitrate in Drinking Water
A separate but common concern
Reverse Osmosis Guide
Removes 95–99% of lead
Activated Carbon Filter Guide
NSF/ANSI 53 certified options
All Contaminants
Complete reference library
Data Sources & Provenance
All data on this page is sourced from official U.S. government or public datasets.
Find Your Utility
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Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) ↗