Chelsea will replace a lead water pipe running into your building for free, and it will check what your pipe is made of for free too. The City and GreenRoots held a community meeting on the program on September 17. If you missed it, here is how the program works, from the City’s own program pages.
Why it matters
The service line is the pipe that carries water from the main under the street into a building. In older cities many of those lines are lead, and lead can get into drinking water. The City’s program page puts the risk plainly: “Childhood exposure to lead can have irreversible effects on IQ, focus, and academic performance.” Young children and pregnant women are most at risk.
The City’s goal is to replace every public and private lead service line in Chelsea, along with some galvanized steel lines, at no cost to homeowners, landlords, tenants or business owners. The work is run by the Water and Sewer Division of the Department of Public Works. The City has replaced lead lines under this effort since 2018, and the downtown Broadway rebuild included about 850 feet of lead service line replacement, as we reported earlier this month.
Step 1: look up your address
The City keeps a Water Service Line Inventory dashboard, linked from its lead program page, where you can type in your address. Your building shows up as a colored dot:
- Red: the line is lead and needs replacement.
- Yellow: the line is galvanized and needs replacement.
- Blue: the line is not lead.
- Gray: the material is unknown.
The City says the dashboard is updated monthly. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also has a step-by-step guide, called Protect Your Tap and available in Spanish as Proteja el Agua Potable, for checking your own pipe.
Step 2: book a free check
If your dot is gray, or you are not sure, book a free verification. According to the City, it takes two to five minutes: a DPW worker needs access to the water meter, usually in the basement, and scratches the pipe to see what it is made of. The City also offers free water sampling to test for lead and copper. Appointments can be booked through the City’s lead program page or by calling the Lead Hotline, Chelsea 311, at (617) 466-4209.
Step 3: the replacement
If the line contains lead, the City’s contractor and DPW will contact the property owner, who signs a right-of-entry form. The contractor replaces the service from the water main to the meter inside the building, usually in four to eight hours, by pulling a new line through or by digging, and the City says it restores disturbed surfaces afterward. There is no charge.
Lead paint is a separate program
The City’s Housing and Community Development department runs a second, federally funded program for lead paint. Chelsea was awarded more than $2 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and expects to help about 70 housing units. It generally pays up to $15,000 per unit for lead inspections, window and door replacement, and paint abatement, with possible extra money for problems such as mold, radon, pests or electrical hazards. Eligible properties are privately owned one- to four-family homes in Chelsea built before 1978 that meet income requirements. Vacant rental units can qualify if the owner agrees to rent to an income-qualified family with a child under six.
For questions about either program, the Lead Hotline is (617) 466-4209. Information is at chelseama.gov/lead.