Plain-language explainers based on EPA and CDC sources.
- How to tell if you have a lead service lineWhat a lead, copper or galvanized water pipe looks like where it enters your home, and EPA's scratch-and-magnet check at the water meter.
- What “galvanized requiring replacement” and “lead status unknown” meanThe four service line inventory categories defined by EPA — lead, galvanized requiring replacement (GRR), lead status unknown and non-lead — in plain language.
- How to test your water for leadWhy EPA says testing is the only way to know if there is lead in your water, how to find a certified laboratory, and what your utility can do.
- What PFAS are and what “4 ppt” meansPFAS (“forever chemicals”) in drinking water, EPA's 4.0 parts-per-trillion limits for PFOA and PFOS, how compliance is measured, and the 2026 proposals.
- EPA Lead and Copper Rule Improvements: 2024–2037 timelineKey dates in EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI): the 2024 inventories, the November 1, 2027 compliance date and baseline inventory, and the 10-year replacement deadline.