The Water Department completed the intitial water service line inventory and submitted the results to MassDEP on October 14, 2024. The effort identified approximately 1,300 service connections out of 1,900 that had unknown materials. Customers served by these lines will be notified by mid-November 2024 that part or all of their service is constructed on an unknown material and may contain lead. The letter will contain a link to a crowd source application where customers can submit photos of their service line so we can identify the material. They may also make appointments to have it inspected in person.
Topsfield Public Works
on the road and the web
Service Line Inventory
Service Line Inventory
All water suppliers in the nation are required to submit a service line material inventory. The Topsfield Water Department began this process in early 2023 by digitizing our service records and building a service layer in our GIS (Geographical Information System). The intitial inventory was submitted on October 14, 2024. Documenting service line materials is part of a nationwide effort to identify lead service lines and get them replaced. To the best of our knowledge, including asbuilt plans, service cards, contract documents and instututional knowledge, Topsfield does not have any known service lines containing lead. Topsfield has historically required plastic or copper service lines but the materials used were not often called out on plans so there are a large number of service lines where the material can not be documented so it's listed as Unknown-May Contain Lead.
What is a service line?
A service line is a small diameter line, typically 3/4" or 1" in size, that connects your home/building to the water main in the street. Many water systems allowed lead pipe to be installed for part or the whole line. Our system has split ownership, the Town owns the pipe from the main to the property line and the property owner owns the pipe on private property. Sometimes, particularly in areas served by wells or private water systems, the new line connecting the water system to the home was conected to a pre-existing pipe of unknown material.
What is next?
Now that the inventory is complete we need to notify customers on an annual basis that have a service with unknown materials. The first round of notices is due to be sent by mid-November 2024. Then work begins on identifying materials through field inspection, statistical sampling, and water testing. The Town has 7 years to identify an unknown materials.
Water Department
279 Boston Street
Topsfield, MA 01983
978.887.1517
911 - After Hours Emergency
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 7 AM to 2:00 PM
Highway Department
279 Boston Street
Topsfield, MA 01983
978.887.1542
Hours: Monday-Friday 7 AM to 3 PM