In New Cumberland, a Refused Lead Line Replacement Can Stay With the House

Pennsylvania American Water's current tariff contains this rule. At a property where a customer or owner "previously refused or failed to accept" the company's offer to replace a lead service line, the company will not connect a new applicant for water service until that applicant shows the line was replaced. The proof has to be a paid invoice from a licensed contractor or a contractor's verified statement. In New Cumberland the rule applies to work already underway, since the utility began replacing about 384 customer-owned lead service lines across the borough this fall, and the work is scheduled to continue through fall 2027.

So for any New Cumberland home that sells in the next year, what kind of pipe runs from the curb to the basement, and what the current owner did when the utility asked about it, matters at closing. The replacement costs the owner nothing directly. It does need a signature.

The Rule That Comes With the Property

The tariff supplement was issued July 21, 2026 and took effect July 31, 2026. It also says that "neither a Customer nor a property-owner may install a partial Lead Service Line Replacement," and that a partial replacement "will result in termination of service until such time as the Company can replace the Lead Service Line."

The replacement plan Pennsylvania American Water filed with the state Public Utility Commission describes the same consequences from the owner's side. If an owner refuses or doesn't respond, the owner has to replace the customer-owned line at their own expense, within one year of the project's start, to qualify for reimbursement. The plan also says that not allowing the utility to replace the private side at the same time it replaces its own side "will lead to termination of water service under the provisions of the utility's tariff."

These rules are newer than much of what still circulates about the program. When the PUC first approved the company's plan in 2019, its announcement said that if a customer declined, the company would replace only its own portion of the line. The tariff in effect since July 31 works differently, and it is the version that governs work happening on New Cumberland streets right now.

How the Borough's Project Is Running

The utility reports that prep work began in July, when contractors went through neighborhoods inspecting lines and identifying service line materials. With that phase largely complete, its contractor, Drain Doctors, has begun replacing the lead lines it identified across the borough. Customers whose lines are scheduled will be contacted directly as the work moves along. In the company's October 15 announcement, JoAnn Hepler, its senior manager of water quality programs, said the project "will help remove hundreds of lead service lines from the New Cumberland community."

According to the company's lead service line FAQ, the program works in this order for an owner:

1. Inspection. The company's program partner, CDM Smith, checks where the line enters the home and connects to the meter. That can involve marking out underground utilities, checking the home's electrical grounding, and digging up to three small test pits. The owner's signed approval may be needed.
2. Notice. If lead is found, the company tells the owner and asks for approval to replace the line.
3. Agreement. The company meets with the owner to go over the project, and then "the property owner must sign and return an agreement" before the contractor can work on the property.
4. Replacement. Once started, the individual line replacement "generally can be done in one day." The company suggests storing a few gallons of drinking water for the work, and lawn, driveway or sidewalk restoration comes afterward.
5. Flushing and follow-up. Household plumbing must be thoroughly flushed before anyone drinks the tap water or uses hot water. Three to six months later, the company sends a postcard offering a water sample.

The owner keeps ownership of the new line, with a two-year warranty. The cost goes through the company's Distribution System Improvement Charge and is spread across its full customer base, so the household whose line is replaced doesn't receive a bill for it. State law allows this arrangement. Section 1311 of Pennsylvania's Public Utility Code, as amended by Act 120 of 2018, lets a water utility include the cost of replacing a customer-owned lead line in its rate base, even though the customer keeps legal title to the new pipe.

Funding for New Cumberland comes from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority. Pennsylvania American Water's January 2026 release lists a $3,627,737 loan at 1.00% over 248 months and a $122,263 grant for the borough's roughly 384 replacements.

Where a Sale Falls on the Calendar

Because the tariff's dates are measured from when a project starts, the timing of a sale matters.

The federal row explains the larger schedule. Under the EPA's final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, water systems have to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years, and the compliance date is November 1, 2027. In February 2026, the Associated Press reported that the EPA told a federal appeals court it would defend the rule and argued that the 10-year replacement period is feasible.

Sales can also happen faster than the paperwork. Across Cumberland County in September 2026, homes averaged 21 days on market, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS county report. That figure covers the whole county, not New Cumberland alone. When a listing goes under contract in about three weeks, a question about a service line can come up in the middle of inspections, appraisal and financing.

What the Disclosure Form Already Asks

Pennsylvania's seller disclosure rules already cover this. 49 Pa. Code § 35.335a says that "a seller must disclose to a buyer all known material defects about property being sold that are not readily observable." The form asks for the source of drinking water. Its plumbing item asks for the "Type of plumbing" and lists copper, galvanized, lead, PVC, unknown and other. A separate hazardous substances section asks about lead paint and about any testing on the property.

The borough project makes it more likely that a New Cumberland seller knows the answer. A home that was inspected this summer may have a recorded line material, and a seller may have received notice, signed an agreement, or had the work done. Galvanized lines count here too, because the utility's program covers customer-owned lines that are lead or galvanized.

The Map Anyone Can Check

Buyers don't have to rely on the form alone. Pennsylvania American Water keeps an online service line map where anyone can search an address and see the recorded material of the customer-owned line. If the entry says unknown or looks wrong, residents can answer a few questions and upload a photo. For help identifying a line, the utility's inventory page lists 717-581-8599 and [email protected].

Taken together, the map, the disclosure form and the seller's own records can answer most of these questions before an offer is written:

• What does the map show for the customer side of this address?
• Has the owner been contacted, signed an agreement, or had the line replaced?
• If the line was replaced, is there paperwork, including the two-year warranty?
• If it hasn't been replaced yet, how might a closing date line up with the project schedule?

If an Owner Hires Their Own Contractor

The tariff also covers owners who would rather hire their own contractor, for example a seller who wants the work done on their own timeline before listing. Section 4.9.1.5 provides reimbursement when the customer-owned lead line is replaced within one year of the date the company started a project in the area, and the owner provides a detailed estimate and paid invoice from a licensed contractor, or a contractor's verified statement. The reimbursement covers reasonable costs, up to 125% of what the company would have paid on average for a similar line in the project area and never more than the actual cost. It is sent by check within 30 days after the company approves the request. The project area includes a one-mile radius around the project if the company serves that area. Owners who are outside the area, who don't have the paperwork, or whose replacement happened more than one year before or after the project started are not eligible.

This post is general information about the published rules, not legal or financial advice. Anyone weighing a decision about their own property should confirm it with the utility, a real estate attorney or the right licensed professional.

A Few Quick Answers

Does the replacement cost the homeowner anything? The company says there's no direct cost to the customer. The expense goes into a charge spread across all of its customers' bills.

How long does the work take at one house? The company says an individual service line replacement "generally can be done in one day," and restoration of the lawn, driveway or sidewalk comes afterward.

What does federal guidance say about a new owner? EPA guidance from August 2026 says that when a water system didn't have an owner's permission before, it must offer full replacement to the new owner within six months of a change in ownership. The EPA describes the document as informational and not legally binding.

How can someone spot a legitimate contractor at the door? The company says everyone working for it or for CDM Smith in the field wears a logoed high-visibility vest and carries an official photo ID badge.

If you're listing or buying in New Cumberland while this project is underway, I'd be glad to go through the service line map, the disclosure form and your timeline with you, so the water line question gets answered early rather than at closing. Cindy Folckemer is here when you're ready. Let's Connect.