Lead Service Lines in Philadelphia: What Owners Should Know
Check the PWD map, know the loan, and when the city replaces the line for free.
Answering 24/7 for Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia plumbing, from the roof vent to the city sewer
Water through the ceiling, a basement drain backing up, or no hot water at all? Call any hour and a McGinnis Plumbing plumber talks you through the shutoff, then comes out to fix it.
- Phones answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Office on Huntingdon Pike, at the Northeast Philadelphia line
- Drains, sewer laterals, water heaters, gas lines and boilers
Most calls start in the basementWater heaters, house traps and main valves all live down there.
Brands we install and repair:Bradford WhiteRheemA.O. SmithNavienRinnaiKohlerMoenDeltaAmerican StandardZoellerLiberty PumpsInSinkEratorWeil-McLainBurnham
Quick answer
What to do in the first five minutes
Short answer
In most Philadelphia rowhomes the main water valve sits on the front basement wall beside the meter, and closing it stops a leak from getting worse. Turn it clockwise until it stops, set the water heater to vacation, then call (267) 394-6446. We stay on the line while you do it.
Most of what we see in the city comes back to age. Cast iron stacks put in before the war, galvanized supply lines that have closed down to a pencil width, terra cotta laterals that roots found decades ago. The suburbs bring their own list: sump pumps in finished basements, newer water heaters that still fail on schedule, and long service lines under front lawns.
We work on all of it. Our plumbers clear drains and main sewer lines, replace water heaters and cast iron stacks, repair boilers and gas leaks, and fit backwater valves on the basements that keep flooding.
Before we get there
- Close the main valve at the meter. A wheel turns clockwise; a lever turns a quarter turn.
- If water is near outlets or the electric panel, stay out of it and keep the power off from a dry spot.
- If the tank lost water, set the water heater to vacation or pilot so it does not fire empty.
- Open a faucet on the lowest floor to drain what is left in the pipes.
- Take photos of the water and the damage for your insurer before cleanup starts.
Problem finder
Where in the house is the problem?
A Philadelphia rowhome runs its plumbing the same way on almost every block: one cast iron stack, a house trap at the front wall and a lateral out to the city sewer. Tap a number on the drawing to see what usually goes wrong there and which job fixes it.
Twins, singles and the newer suburban houses add a sump pit or a longer service line, but the logic is the same. Follow the water down and you find the fault.
Where is the problem?Tap a number
Bathroom
Running toilets, a shower that drips or scalds, a stain on the ceiling below.
Shower valve repairWhy the same jobs keep coming back
Philadelphia plumbing, by the numbers
Old houses, shared sewers, owner-held service lines and hard freezes. Four facts explain most of the calls we take in the city.
41%
of Philadelphia homes were built in 1939 or earlier, about twice the share of any other county in the region.
Source: Economy League60%
of the city drains through combined sewers that carry storm water and sewage in one pipe, which is why hard rain backs up basement drains.
Source: Philadelphia Water Department1 in 20
Philadelphia properties may still have a lead service line, and the pipe from the curb to the meter belongs to the owner.
Source: Philadelphia Water Department72 hrs
below 32 degrees is the point where frozen and burst pipes become much more likely, especially lines left unused overnight.
Source: WHYY50 plumbing services
Every job we take, sorted by where it happens
Pick the closest match and the page will tell you what the work involves, what drives the price and how long the water stays off. Not sure which one fits? Call and describe it.
Leaks & Emergencies
6 servicesThe calls that cannot wait: water where it should not be, no water, or a pipe that froze.
Drains & Sewer
9 servicesSlow fixtures, main line backups, house traps, laterals and the cast iron that carries it all out.
Basement Water
5 servicesBackwater valves, sump pumps and ejector pumps for the floor that floods first.
Water Heaters
6 servicesTank, tankless and heat pump heaters, repaired, serviced or replaced.
Pipes & Water Lines
7 servicesService lines from the street, whole-house repiping, pressure and water quality.
Fixtures & Bathrooms
8 servicesToilets, faucets, sinks, shower valves, disposals and appliance hookups.
Gas & Heating
5 servicesGas piping, leak repair and the boilers and radiators many Philadelphia homes still run on.
Commercial & Property
4 servicesStorefronts, restaurants, rentals and pre-purchase inspections.
Worth knowing before you call anyone
Which pipes are yours, and which belong to the city
In Philadelphia the property owner is responsible for the water service line and the sewer laterals that connect the house to the mains in the street. That catches a lot of owners out the first time PWD sends a Notice of Defect.
The owner's
Yours to repair
- The water service line from the curb stop to your meter, whatever it is made of
- The main valve and every supply pipe inside the house
- The house trap and main drain at the front wall
- The sanitary lateral to the city sewer, and on many Northeast blocks a separate storm lateral as well
The city's
PWD's to repair
- The water main under the street
- The sewer main the laterals connect to
- Street inlets and the storm sewer system
PWD offers a zero-interest HELP loan, repaid over 60 months on the water bill, for lead service line replacement and for repairs after a Notice of Defect. Read who owns the sewer lateral for the details.
How a call goes
What happens after you call
- 1
We pick up
A person answers, day or night, and asks what you are seeing and where in the house.
- 2
We get the water off
If water is moving, we walk you to the main valve before we talk about anything else.
- 3
A plumber comes out
The plumber looks at the problem itself, and on drain calls runs a camera before any digging is discussed.
- 4
You approve the price
You hear what failed, what the fix is and what it costs before work starts.
- 5
Fixed, tested, cleaned
Lines are pressure or flow tested, the old parts go with us and the work area is cleaned.
Most of our work starts at a basement door on a block like this one, where the plumbing went in with the house and has been patched ever since.
Where we work
Philadelphia and the towns just over the line
The office sits on Huntingdon Pike, where Lower Moreland meets the Far Northeast. That puts Somerton, Fox Chase and Mayfair on one side and the Old York Road towns and lower Bucks County on the other. See the full Philadelphia area page for how far we go.
Northeast Philadelphia
Montgomery County
How we work
Four habits you will notice on the job
Water heaters from Bradford White, Rheem and A.O. Smith, tankless units from Navien and Rinnai, and fixtures from Kohler, Moen and Delta all come through our hands. The habits below matter more than the brand.
Shutoff first
When water is moving, stopping it is the first job. Diagnosis and pricing come after the house is safe.
Camera before shovel
On drain and sewer calls we look inside the line with a sewer camera before anyone talks about digging up a sidewalk.
Permits when they apply
Water heater swaps, sewer repairs and gas work often need a permit in the city and the townships. When a job needs one, it is pulled before the work starts.
The basement left clean
Drop cloths down on the way in, the old tank, pipe and debris hauled out on the way out.
Plumbing Help
Short guides for Philadelphia owners
Written by Clifford Haskell, our plumbing guides editor, from the questions we answer on the phone every week. All guides.
Basement Backups and Backwater Valves in Philadelphia
Why combined sewers push back into basements and how a backwater valve stops it.
The House Trap: The Philadelphia Fitting Few Owners Know
The U-bend at your front wall that decides whether the whole basement backs up.
Questions
What Philadelphia owners ask us most
Still unsure? Describe the problem on the phone and we will tell you whether it can wait.
(267) 394-6446Yes. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, holidays included. If water is moving when you call, we start by walking you to the shutoff so the damage stops while a plumber is on the way.
In Philadelphia it is. The property owner is responsible for the water service line and the sewer laterals that connect the house to the mains in the street. If PWD has sent you a Notice of Defect, ask us about the zero-interest HELP loan, which is repaid over 60 months on the water bill. Our lateral guide explains where your pipe ends and the city's begins.
Yes. We replace lead and galvanized service lines from the curb stop to the meter. Before you book, check PWD's service line map and ask whether a water main replacement is planned on your block, because PWD replaces lead lines free during that work. More on the service line replacement page.
About 60 percent of Philadelphia drains through combined sewers that carry storm water and sewage in the same pipe. In a heavy storm the city sewer fills and pushes back through the lowest drain in the house. A backwater valve lets water leave and stops it coming back; eligible owners can get one free through PWD's Basement Backup Protection Program.
Yes. Our office is on Huntingdon Pike in Huntingdon Valley, so we also cover Montgomery County towns such as Abington, Jenkintown and Willow Grove, and lower Bucks County including Bensalem, Feasterville-Trevose and Warminster. The full list is on our Philadelphia area page.
Open the faucet it feeds so melting water has somewhere to go, then warm the air around the pipe with a hair dryer or space heater, never an open flame. If the pipe has already split, close the main valve before it thaws. Our frozen pipe guide covers the rest.
Water where it should not be? Get a plumber on the phone now.
Tell us what you are seeing and we will help you get it under control before the truck even arrives. Day, night, weekend or holiday.