Anne Arundel County assumes cost of private service line replacements to meet federal inventory mandates

Anne Arundel County assumes cost of private service line replacements to meet federal inventory mandatesFearing that financial liabilities would cause residents to deny property access for test pitting, the county council passed amendments ensuring the utility covers replacement costs for low-income households and pipes potentially contaminated by legacy infrastructure.

DPW estimates between 800 and 1,200 private galvanized pipes will require replacement, though no actual lead pipes have been found to date.

Out of approximately 600 self-reports, 63 galvanized pipes requiring replacement have been identified, with about 8,000 unknown lines still needing physical investigation.

DPW Assistant Director Erin Day warned that placing financial obligations on property owners would hinder the county's ability to meet federal reporting deadlines.

The council approved amendments to cover costs for households earning 80% or less of the area median income, and for galvanized pipes where the county lacks documentation proving lead was never used upstream.

Anne Arundel County, Maryland, is restructuring how it funds the replacement of non-compliant water service lines on private property, shifting the financial burden away from residents to ensure compliance with federal regulations. During a July 6 meeting, the County Council debated Bill 54-26, which originally established a mechanism for the county to charge property owners—or place a lien on their property—for the replacement of private lead or galvanized pipes. However, Department of Public Works (DPW) officials warned this approach was actively hindering their federally mandated inventory efforts. DPW Assistant Director Erin Day told the council that the county is transitioning from voluntary public reporting to active physical inspections of private properties. Day cautioned that potential financial liabilities would likely cause residents to deny access for test pitting or to submit false material reports, which would degrade the integrity of reports submitted to the EPA and the Maryland Department of the Environment. The county is currently working through a backlog of about 8,000 unknown pipes. According to DPW Engineering Administrator Chris Murphy, the county has received roughly 600 self-reports so far. While no actual lead pipes have been discovered on private property, the utility has identified 63 galvanized pipes that require replacement because there is no documentation proving lead was never present upstream. DPW estimates that between 800 and 1,200 galvanized pipes will ultimately need to be replaced across the system. To keep the inventory and replacement program on track, the council unanimously adopted two amendments. The first amendment stipulates that the county will cover the replacement costs for galvanized pipes if the utility cannot prove the absence of legacy lead infrastructure on the public side. The second amendment establishes income-based financial assistance, ensuring the county fully covers replacement costs for households earning 80% or less of the area median income, or those participating in housing assistance programs. Administration representative Ethan Hunt noted that neighboring jurisdictions, including Baltimore County, Howard County, and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), have already announced intentions to fully pay for service line replacements on private property. The amended Anne Arundel County bill is scheduled for a subsequent hearing on July 20.