Lead In Drinking Water In Pennsylvania
What residents of Pennsylvania 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, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), CDC · Last reviewed: 2025-01-01
Quick Answer
Is lead in drinking water a real concern in Pennsylvania?
Yes — Pennsylvania has a high density of older housing and water infrastructure, and Pittsburgh experienced a well-documented lead exceedance event.
Is this mostly a public-water issue, a private-well issue, or both?
Both public system service lines and household plumbing; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have aging distribution systems with documented lead concerns.
What is the main reason residents should care?
Pittsburgh exceeded the federal lead action level in testing in the mid-2010s, drawing national attention. Philadelphia serves 1.5 million people from an aging system. Pennsylvania has adopted the revised Lead and Copper Rule requirements.
Key Facts
| Federal Lead Action Level | 15 µg/L — zero is the only CDC-recognized safe level |
| Federal MCLG | Zero |
| Pittsburgh context | Exceeded federal action level in the 2010s due to corrosion control changes |
| Regulatory framework | PADEP enforces EPA Lead and Copper Rule Revisions |
| State oversight | Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) |
Why This Matters in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's industrial cities — Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Allentown, Reading, and others — were built when lead was a standard plumbing material. Pittsburgh's lead exceedance event in the 2010s revealed the risk that improper corrosion control treatment can pose even in large, professionally managed systems. Philadelphia Water Department operates one of the largest municipal water systems in the US and continues to work through its lead service line replacement program. Pennsylvania adopted the federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) and requires utilities to submit complete lead service line inventories.
Historical Context
Pittsburgh's drinking water exceeded the federal lead action level in the mid-2010s following changes to the corrosion control treatment process. The incident led to remediation efforts and renewed attention to lead in Pennsylvania water systems.
Pennsylvania 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.
Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth
Pittsburgh · 520,000 served
Altoona Water Authority
Altoona · 62,500 served
Greater Johnstown Wa Riverside
Pennsylvania · 49,500 served
Penn State Univ
Pennsylvania · 37,000 served
Pa American Coatesville
Pennsylvania · 36,960 served
Northampton Bucks Co Mun Auth
Pennsylvania · 36,750 served
Warminster Municipal Authority
Pennsylvania · 36,000 served
Pottstown Borough Water Auth
Pennsylvania · 36,000 served
North Fayette Cnty Muni Auth
Pennsylvania · 35,409 served
Mifflin Cnty Muni Auth
Pennsylvania · 29,432 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 Pennsylvania 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
Residents in Philadelphia's older row-home neighborhoods, Pittsburgh's pre-war housing stock, and industrial small cities throughout the state face elevated risk from lead service lines and older household plumbing.
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 Pennsylvania
- 1
Identify your water utility. Use the ZIP lookup below or browse the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP)-certified lab. Your state health department or Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) 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
Pennsylvania 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.
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