NORWOOD – Many Norwood property owners received a letter from the Norwood Water Department recently that appeared to have caused anxiety for some across town.
The notice, stamped with the ominous header “Your home is served by a service line that may be lead,” has left many scrambling for answers, caught between the fear of contaminated drinking water and the confusion of bureaucratic technicalities.
The notices are part of a federally mandated inventory of water service line materials. Inside Norwood reached out to the Director of Norwood Public Works, Mark Ryan.
“All water supply providers throughout the country are required by the EPA to identify the type of material of the water service for the property, especially any lead water services” Ryan said.
However, for many recipients, the letter raised more questions than it answered. According to the text, while the “house side” of the service lines in question has been confirmed as non-lead, the “street side”—running from the water main to the curb stop—is classified as “unknown.”
“The Town of Norwood issued similar notices to all properties in August 2024 and again in November 2024 in an effort to identify the type of material for their individual water services” Ryan said. “We were able to obtain valuable information from those that responded. However, many did not reply.”
“It’s the ambiguity that is so unsettling,” said one resident who received the notice this week and asked we not identify her. “They tell us the pipe might be lead, but they don’t know for sure,” she said.
Director Ryan explained to Inside Norwood that each letter is unique to that address and offers instructions on how to proceed. “The notices requiring information from the resident have a QR Code that helps them determine the type of material for the water service entering their basement” Ryan said.
The letter attempted to reassure customers that the likelihood of lead is “low,” and the DPW is “developing a program” to identify these unknown materials. The letter states homeowners will be notified in advance of any work. But for now, residents are left with a warning, basic instructions, and a vague promise of future investigation.
“If they are unsure on how to proceed with identifying the water pipe, they [residents] can set up an appointment with the consultant [Stantec] to stop by and identify the pipe material,” Ryan said. Links to FAQ’s as well as the contact information for Stantec is included in the letter.
The department has advised that if lines are confirmed as lead in the future, they will share information on removal. Until then, homeowners in the “unknown” category are left to wonder what, exactly, is flowing through their pipes. -RD
To see your homes lead status, click here:
