NEIGHBORHOOD CANVASSING IN PROGRESS

As part of our ongoing commitment to provide safe, high quality drinking water, New Jersey American Water is working door to door in some neighborhoods to identify the materials of customer-owned water service pipes and replacing lead and galvanized steel service pipes throughout the communities we serve.

Before service pipes can be replaced, we must first confirm what material they are made of.

What Is a Water Service Pipe?

The water service pipe (or line) is the pipe that connects your home or building to the water main in the street.

Canvassing Diagram

New Jersey American Water owns the portion of the service pipe in the public right of way
The homeowner owns the portion that runs from the curb or meter into the property

What Does Canvassing Mean for You?

Canvassing allows our trained teams to:

Confirm the material of your customer owned water service pipe
Schedule an inspection or next steps if your service pipe material is unknown
Provide information and answer questions about the process

Inspections are free and help keep our records accurate so future replacement work can be planned when needed.

What to Expect

If canvassing is happening in your neighborhood, you may receive one or more of the materials below.

We will conduct direct customer outreach through mailed letters and postcards, customer alerts and emails, and digital and social media messaging to notify residents about upcoming service pipe identification and inspection opportunities.

Always be aware and take precautions when approached by someone who says they are a utility worker or contractor:

Always ask for a company-issued photo ID. New Jersey American Water employees and contractors carry company-issued photo ID badges.
Look for the logo. All New Jersey American Water service personnel and contractors wear uniforms with the company logo. At times, New Jersey American Water uses contracted services from other trusted companies. Those companies may drive their own personal vehicles or operate company branded vehicles.
Never give cash. Our employees and contractors never collect money or credit card information from customers in the field.
If you suspect someone may be a utility imposter, close and lock your door, and call 911. You can also call New Jersey American Water at 1-800-272-1325 to report the incident and confirm whether service work is scheduled in the area.

We care about our customers’ safety. Take the time to ensure that the utility representative at your door is a legitimate employee on official utility business. We don’t mind the wait. We believe it’s worth the peace of mind for our customers.

Schedule Your Inspection

Scheduling an inspection is easy and helps us confirm the material of your customer owned water service pipe. Inspections are free, typically take just a short time, and help guide future replacement work if needed.

You can schedule your appointment at a time that works best for you by visiting: calendly.com/njaw

Know Your Service Pipe Material?

You can view what our records indicate for your customer side water service pipe by searching your address on our inventory map. If you know the material of your service pipe or would prefer to self identify, you can complete a short survey at newjerseyamwater.com/leadsurvey.

If a service pipe is confirmed to be made of lead or galvanized steel, New Jersey American Water will coordinate replacement in accordance with its statewide plan. Additional information about service pipe materials and the replacement process is available here.

New Jersey American Water's Qualified Contractors

To support this work, New Jersey American Water partners with trained employees and authorized contractors who assist with canvassing, inspections, and service pipe identification.

As part of this process, you may see representatives from the list below going door to door to gather information or schedule inspections. In some cases, homeowners may be notified of a small test hole near the water meter or curb stop. This test hole allows our teams to safely identify the material of the service pipe and is restored once work is complete. Our qualified contractors include, but are not limited to:

CDM Smith
Montana Construction
Alpha Utilities
Perna Finnigan Inc
Pioneer Pipe
New Jersey Infrastructure
Conquest Construction
Schilke Construction
Griggs Plumbing

Questions or information to share?
Please contact the New Jersey American Water Lead Team at leadfreenj@amwater.com

You may also contact our authorized program partner, CDM Smith, who serves as the primary point of contact for customer questions and can direct inquiries appropriately by calling 732-590-4700.

For Municipal Leaders: Download our Lead Service Pipe Communications Toolkit for memos, notifications, social media language, and outreach guidance.

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