What is a service line and who owns it?
A water service line or lateral is the small diameter pipe that connects the water main in the street to your home or building.
Service lines can be made of copper, galvanized steel, iron, plastic, or lead.
The property owner owns the water service line from the home to the curb stop or shut-off valve. The Bellefonte Borough Authority owns the rest of the water service line – from the curb stop to the water main, see the illustration below of a typical customer service line.
Service Line Inventory
Water systems must inventory all service lines and submit the inventory to PA DEP by October 16, 2024. After that date, water systems are required to continue to identify the material of all customer service lines until all service lines are fully identified. Water suppliers must include the classification of each line according to the material in their inventory. The classifications include the following:
- Lead
- Non-lead
- Lead status unknown
- Galvanized requiring replacement (GRR)
What is being done?
The Borough/Authority is working on identifying the service lines on our water distribution system’s system-owned (Authority) service lines. We are reviewing historical records, including site plans, plumbing records, maps, and will conduct field verifications as needed. Under the rules, options for verification are limited. One way is to expose the service line and verify materials at three locations, two locations at a specified distance on each side of the curb box and ID the material and a third check where the service line comes into the structure. The materials must be verified by visual inspection and pictures or written logs of replacement materials with a record of the date materials were replaced. The Bellefonte Borough Authority does not have comprehensive records of the type of material for customer water service lines since this was never required for record keeping until now. We will need your help to complete this inventory.
There are several ways to submit your water service line information to us.
- Complete the form by following the link below.
- Pick up a copy of the form at Bellefonte Borough, 301 N. Spring Street, Suite 200, Bellefonte, PA.
- If you would prefer someone from the Borough to assist you with identifying the material, please e-mail us using the contact form on this website.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an online step-by-step guide- “Protect your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead” to help people identify lead service lines in their homes. It also provides tips on actions to reduce lead exposure in drinking water, information on certified laboratories for water testing, and resources to learn more. Access the guide to identify lead pipes and reduce risk from lead in drinking water.
Bellefonte Borough Authority will be working on an ongoing service line inventory project to identify all customer water service lines. This project will take place over the next several years until all service lines within our water system service area are identified. The project is a mandatory requirement of a state and federal water system regulation. The goal is to identify service line material from the main water line to the meter inside the customer’s home or business, wherever the water service line enters the building. The illustration above shows a typical customer water line. The federal regulatory requirements for this project will require replacement of service lines made of certain materials in the future. Currently lead lines require replacement and galvanized lines may require replacement, If your service line is made of either of these materials you will receive another letter and be contacted by the Authority. More information about the Service Line Inventory will be posted on this website as it is available. As the work continues, we will be contacting customers for appointments to inspect pipe materials at the meter. Customers can help identify their service line by filling out a form and taking a picture of the water service line. Please follow this link for the form https://bellefonte.net/departments/water-sewer/sli/how-can-you-help-with-the-service-line-inventory-project/ and thank you for helping with this project!