FAQs - Service Line Notices

FAQs For Water Customers Receiving Notice of a Galvanized or Unknown Service Line Material

The latest US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lead & Copper Rule Improvements requires all public water suppliers to inventory the material type and location of every water service line connected to their distribution systems. Water service lines are the pipes that connect homes and businesses to the City’s water mains. The first baseline report of this inventory was submitted to the EPA on October 16, 2024, and continues to be updated and submitted annually. 

The EPA also requires water suppliers to notify customers with galvanized water pipes, and customers they haven’t been able to reach through ongoing inventory processes (the “unknowns”). These notification letters were recently mailed to Portsmouth water customers mid-November, 2025 and will continue to be mailed on an annual basis until the site-specific unknown service line has been properly identified, or until the galvanized service line has been replaced.

What information does the notice include?

• A statement that your service line material is either lead, galvanized, or unknown.
• An explanation of the health effects of lead.
• Steps you can take to reduce your exposure to lead.
• Information on replacing your service line if it is confirmed galvanized requiring replacement.
• Information on opportunities to verify the material of the service line if it is unknown.

What should I do if I receive a notice?

1. If your letter says your service line is “unknown” you need to contact the City to schedule an inspection of your service line. You can also inspect and report the service line material yourself. Contact Mason Caceres, Assistant Water Resource Manager, at 603-312-3804 or mecaceres@portsmouthnh.gov to schedule an inspection.

    

2. If your letter says your service line is “unknown at curb-stop valve”, the City’s Water Division will be vacuum-excavating (“potholing”) the curb-stop valve to identify the service line material on both the city- and private-side of the valve. The letter is simply to inform you this will happen at the curb.

    

3. If your letter says your service line is galvanized pipe, you should start planning to replace the water service line inside your house or business as soon as you are able. You may contact any contractor qualified to install water service lines in accordance with City of Portsmouth Water Division standards. A list of approved contractors is available on the City’s website: https://portsnh.co/3ZGYcBr. The selected contractor must coordinate with the Water Division to schedule installation inspections and to complete the connection at the curb-stop valve. 

   Financial assistance for the replacement of galvanized service lines became available in 2025 through a state loan program; however, final program details are still being developed. If you have questions about replacing your galvanized service line, you can contact Al Pratt, Water Resource Director at (603) 520-0622, or anpratt@portsmouthnh.gov or Mason Caceres, Assistant Water Resource Manager at (603) 312-3804, or mecaceres@portsmouthnh.gov. 

What if I do not receive a notice?

If you do not receive a notification letter, the Portsmouth Water Division has visually inspected and identified your service line material. If you would like to know the material type of your domestic water service, please visit the Service Line Inventory Dashboard map and search for your property in the top-right hand corner. Click on the data point associated with your address to view the material type identified through visual inspection. Please contact Chris Vakili, Stormwater & Water Quality GIS Specialist at (603) 957-8425, or waterservice@cityofportsmouth.com for questions about the inventory dashboard.