Wilkinsburg & Penn Hills Lead Service Line Replacement Program
Wilkinsburg-Penn JT Water Auth serves about 125,000 people and reported 3,704 lead and 134 galvanized service lines that must be replaced, out of 44,686 lines, in EPA's Q3 2026 inventory, plus 5,828 lines of unknown material. Here's who pays to replace yours, what it costs, and how to sign up.
PENNVEST-funded phases
Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority received about $9.3 million from PENNVEST (about $3.9 million in grants plus a low-interest loan) to replace roughly 1,000 lead service lines, with phase 3 and phase 4 contracts underway. Activists have pressed it to stop partial replacements. The authority hasn't published owner cost terms.
How to get it
- Contact WPJWA (2200 Robinson Blvd., Pittsburgh) to check your line.
- Ask whether the private side is replaced at no cost in the current phase.
- Insist on full replacement.
Sources: pasenate.com, projects.constructconnect.com
Lead lines in Wilkinsburg & Penn Hills
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result EPA lists for this system is 9.8 parts per billion (2025-06 to 2025-09). Under the new federal rule, the action level drops to 10 ppb in 2027. Galvanized lines count if they ever sat downstream of a lead pipe, because they can hold lead particles. Unknown lines must be identified by the utility, and many turn out to be lead.
How Wilkinsburg & Penn Hills compares: it ranks #132 of 7,556 U.S. water systems and #8 of 399 in Pennsylvania for lead and galvanized lines. 8.6% of its service lines need replacing, compared with 3.3% across Pennsylvania. See the national ranking.
Source: EPA SDWIS Service Line Inventory, Q3 2026 · Utility phone: 412-243-6200 · PWSID PA5020056
Wilkinsburg & Penn Hills lead service line map: check your address
Every water utility had to publish an inventory of its service lines, and most offer an address lookup map. Start with Wilkinsburg-Penn JT Water Auth's official lead program page, which links to its lookup or explains how to get your line checked. The status will be lead, galvanized requiring replacement, non-lead or unknown. If it's unknown, you can usually check the pipe yourself and send the utility a photo.
Communities and ZIP codes served
ZIP codes: 15104, 15112, 15140, 15145, 15218, 15221, 15235
Who pays in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's Act 120 lets PUC-regulated water utilities replace customer-owned lead service lines and recover the cost through rates, and it prohibits partial replacement. The PUC's 2022 rules require utilities to file replacement programs; Aqua Pennsylvania's was approved in April 2025 for up to 1,500 customer lines a year. City systems such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh set their own terms.
The law: Act 120 of 2018 (66 Pa.C.S. § 1311(b)) and 52 Pa. Code Chapter 65. Mandatory? No owner mandate statewide; utilities must replace full lines and partial replacement is prohibited. Funding: PENNVEST loans and grants; utility rate recovery approved by the PUC.
Sources: puc.pa.gov, puc.pa.gov
Nationwide, EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements require most utilities to replace every lead and galvanized-requiring-replacement line by December 31, 2037, starting November 1, 2027. Utilities must mail a notice every year to each home with a lead, galvanized or unknown line. See the federal timeline.
What would you pay?
Many utility loans are 0% (enter 0). Private loans run higher. Your real price depends on how far the house sits from the street, digging versus trenchless methods, permits and restoration. This is an estimate, not a quote.
Not covered, or can't wait?
Get up to 3 quotes from licensed plumbers who replace service lines in Wilkinsburg & Penn Hills.
Common questions
Is lead service line replacement free in Wilkinsburg & Penn Hills?
Possibly. Wilkinsburg-Penn JT Water Auth is replacing lead lines, but hasn't published what owners pay. Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority received about $9.3 million from PENNVEST (about $3.9 million in grants plus a low-interest loan) to replace roughly 1,000 lead service lines, with phase 3 and phase 4 contracts underway.
Is lead service line replacement mandatory in Wilkinsburg & Penn Hills?
No owner mandate statewide; utilities must replace full lines and partial replacement is prohibited.
How much does it cost to replace a lead service line in Wilkinsburg & Penn Hills?
Most private-side replacements cost about $4,000 to $10,000, and long or difficult lines can run higher. Price depends on the distance from the street to your house, whether the contractor digs a trench or pulls the new pipe through (trenchless), permits, and restoring your lawn, sidewalk or basement wall.
How do I know if my home has a lead service line?
Look up your address on Wilkinsburg-Penn JT Water Auth's service line inventory or check the letter it mailed you. You can also check the pipe where it enters your basement, usually near the meter: lead is dull gray, soft, and turns shiny silver when you scratch it with a key, and a magnet won't stick. Galvanized steel is gray too, but a magnet sticks to it. See our step-by-step guide.
What if I can't afford to replace my lead line?
Ask Wilkinsburg-Penn JT Water Auth about income-based help first; federal money often makes replacement free for low-income owners. Other options are utility payment plans, 0% city loans, state revolving fund programs, property tax assessments and home improvement loans. Our guide on paying for replacement lists them.
Who owns the water service line?
In most U.S. cities the utility owns the pipe from the water main to the curb stop or property line, and the property owner owns the rest, into the house. Some utilities, including Minneapolis and many in St. Louis County, treat the whole line as the owner's. Federal rules now require utilities to replace the whole lead line, not just their part.
Other Pennsylvania programs
Philadelphia ✓Pittsburgh ✓Allentown ✓Altoona ✓Pittsburgh suburbs (PA American Water) ✓Montgomery County (Aqua PA) ✓Johnstown ✓Westmoreland County (MAWC) ✓Oil CityCumberland County (PA American Water) ✓
Something out of date? Report a change. We recheck program terms at least once a year.