W-2Water · lead service lines
Does your NYC building have a lead service line?
NYC lead service lines belong to the property owner from the street main to the building, and DEP replaces them free only for owners it invites by letter.
Which building is yours?
- Prewar walk-upThe owner is responsible for the line. DEP says lead lines turn up mostly in buildings under six units, so small prewar walk-ups are worth checking.
- Brownstone or row houseYou own the whole line as owner. Row houses from the 1910s to 1930s are the kind DEP names as likely to still have lead.
- Co-op or condo high-riseThe co-op corporation answers for the line. DEP ties lead to buildings under six units, so a tower is less likely; ask the board what DEP has on file.
- Two-family houseYou own the line. Older one-to-four-family homes are the main group DEP flags, so look your address up on the service line map.
- New-build condoBuilt long after the 1961 ban on lead service lines, so a lead line is unlikely; the condo association is responsible for the building’s pipe.
Which building are you in, and who owns the pipe?
Whatever your building type, the service line is private. DEP puts it plainly: owners "are responsible for their service line in its entirety", from the city’s main in the street to the plumbing inside (DEP, Lead and Drinking Water). In a brownstone or a two-family house, that means you. In a rental walk-up it is the landlord, and in a co-op it is the corporation. DEP says every known lead line in the city is on private property. Tenants cannot order a replacement, but they can ask the owner what DEP’s records show and order a free test kit for their own tap.
How many lead lines are left?
DEP’s 2025 plan counts about 121,100 lines that are lead or galvanized steel needing replacement. Another 118,000 are of unknown material, and about 579,000 are not lead (DEP replacement plan). Lead service lines were legal in New York City until 1961, and patch repairs to them were allowed until 2009. DEP says they are typically found in buildings with fewer than six units. Its FAQ points to one-family houses built from the 1910s through the 1930s.
Legend: the numbers on this plate
How do you find out what your line is made of?
Start with the NYC Service Line Map, linked from DEP’s lead page. It shows what the city has on file for each property. DEP says the map is largely based on third-party plumbing records. Its own plan notes that many lines recorded as lead have turned out not to be. If you own the property, you can send DEP what you find through its PARIS form. Between October and November 2024, DEP mailed about 250,000 notices to owners of lead or unknown lines, and owners of those lines get a notice every year. From 2025 the letters ask owners to share the notice with tenants.
Look up your own building
- NYC Service Line Map (via DEP’s lead page) · what material the city has on file for your building’s service line
- 311 — Lead in Drinking Water · order a free test kit for your own apartment or house
- DOB License Search · whether the plumber quoting a replacement holds an active license
Who qualifies for the free replacement program?
Only owners DEP contacts. The program page says "only property owners who receive a letter from DEP are eligible to sign up" (DEP replacement program). Owners can also be contacted by the Department of Design and Construction during water or sewer main work on their street. In 2025 the program expanded to eligible properties in the Bronx and Queens, with $72 million in grants and interest-free loans. Neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens are named for later phases. DEP replaces the line with copper, usually in one to two days, and leaves a pitcher filter. In 2025 only 63% of eligible owners had taken up the offer.
The clip is about the Bronx phase, and the same rule holds everywhere: you cannot sign up without DEP’s letter. If you got one, reply to it. If you did not, the replacement is yours to arrange.
What does a private replacement involve?
Replacing a service line is work on the water distribution system. It is not one of the "ordinary repairs" DOB lets anyone do, so it needs a Licensed Master Plumber, who files the permit in DOB NOW: Build (DOB plumbing permits). DEP’s replacement page says the job can cost more than $8,000, and its plan gives $5,000 to $10,000 a line. Check the plumber’s license before you sign anything. More on hiring is on permits and plumbers.
What can you do while you wait?
Order the free lead test kit to learn what is actually at your tap. Until then, DEP’s advice is to run the cold tap until the water feels noticeably colder, and to use only cold water for drinking, cooking and baby formula. Boiling does not remove lead. In 2025, 16 of 326 high-risk homes tested above the 15 ppb action level, and the 90th percentile was 10 ppb. Tap water’s other numbers are on tap water quality.
Questions people ask
Is the city responsible for any part of the line?
No. DEP says the owner is responsible for the entire service line, from the main in the street to the building. That holds in every borough and for every building size.
My building got a DEP letter. What should the owner do?
Sign up through the letter. The program covers the replacement with copper at no cost to eligible owners, takes about one to two days, and includes restoring the street afterward.
Does a galvanized pipe count?
DEP counts "galvanized requiring replacement" lines together with lead ones in its inventory. Its free program replaces both lead and galvanized steel lines with copper.
Can a tenant make the owner replace the line?
No city rule we found lets a tenant require it. A tenant can ask what DEP’s records show, read the yearly notice DEP asks owners to share, and test the tap with the free kit.
Does the map prove my line is lead?
No. DEP says the records behind it often come from old plumbing filings. Many lines marked lead have proved not to be. A licensed plumber’s inspection settles it.
How this plate was drawn
Ownership, inventory figures, the 1961 date and the eligibility rule come from DEP’s lead page, its 2025 replacement plan and its program page, checked 11 Nov 2026. DEP publishes no count of lead lines by borough, so we give none. Cost figures differ between DEP pages, so we show the range. We did not query the service line map for any address.
Sources
- NYC DEP — Lead and Drinking Water · ownership of the service line, map, corrosion control · checked 11 Nov 2026
- DEP — 2025 plan for replacing lead service lines · inventory, dates, notices, cost range · checked 11 Nov 2026
- NYC DEP — Lead Service Line Replacement Program · letter-only eligibility, copper, timing · checked 11 Nov 2026
- DEP — Drinking Water Supply and Quality Report (2025 data) · Bronx and Queens expansion, 2025 tap results · checked 11 Nov 2026
- NYC DOB — Plumbing Permits · who may do piping work · checked 11 Nov 2026
Plate W-2 · revised 11 Nov 2026