Lead service lines by water utility

SDWIS (Safe Drinking Water Information System)

EPA's federal database of every community water system, its violations, lead-and-copper sampling, and treatment data.

LCRR (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions)

EPA's 2024 update tightening lead-pipe inventories, sampling procedures, and trigger thresholds for action by water systems.

Service line inventory (SLI)

Mandatory LCRR catalog identifying every water service line as lead, galvanized-requiring-replacement, non-lead, or unknown.

EPA Radon Zones — what 1, 2, and 3 mean and when you should test

EPA classifies every US county into Zone 1 (high), Zone 2 (moderate), or Zone 3 (low) for radon. Plain-English guide to the classifications and at-home testing.

Lead and Copper Rule 2024 — the federal lead-pipe inventory mandate

The 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) require every US community water system to inventory and report lead service lines. Plain-English guide.

EPA SDWIS — how to read drinking-water violations and what they actually mean

Plain-English guide to EPA SDWIS drinking-water violations: health-based vs. monitoring vs. reporting violations, MCLs, and what triggers a public notice.

Radon and real estate — what disclosure laws and home tests actually require

What home sellers must disclose about radon by state, when home tests are required, and how to interpret radon-mitigation systems if a home you're buying has one.

EPA SDWIS — reading drinking-water violations without panicking

EPA's drinking-water database flags violations across every public water system. Here's how to read what's in your ZIP — and what 'violation' actually means.

Private well water — what to test when EPA SDWIS doesn't cover you

EPA SDWIS only covers public water systems. Private wells (~13% of US homes) are the homeowner's responsibility. Here's what to test, how often, and what each test costs.

PFAS in drinking water — what 2024's new MCLs actually mean

EPA finalized first-ever drinking-water MCLs for PFAS in April 2024. Here's what's covered, the 5-year compliance timeline, and how to read your utility's testing.

Lead in paint vs. lead in pipes — same metal, different exposure

Lead service lines (LCRR) and lead-based paint (Title X) are governed by separate regulatory regimes. Here's how each one matters when buying an older home.

Septic systems — what they fail on, what tests cost, when they're a deal-breaker

About 21% of US homes use a septic system. They fail in patterns. Here's the inspection cost, common failures, and when a failed septic is reason to walk from a deal.