A U.S. map of lead service lines shows where drinking-water systems are estimated to have more potentially lead-containing pipes—not which states have the most contaminated tap water. EPA’s November 2025 estimate is about 4 million projected lead service lines nationwide: 3 million reported lead or galvanized-requiring-replacement lines, plus 1 million unknown-material lines projected likely to contain lead. A state map can help describe infrastructure and funding needs, but it cannot establish whether water at a particular home contains lead.
What the map measures
EPA’s November 2025 map presents projected state counts of lead and galvanized-requiring-replacement (GRR) service lines. The agency used these projections to develop fiscal year 2025 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund allotments for lead service-line replacement. These are estimates of pipes, not results from household tap-water samples and not percentages of residents exposed to lead. EPA’s 2025 DWINSA update describes the map and funding method.
EPA’s 2025 fact sheet estimates about 4 million projected lead service lines across the country. The figure comprises 3 million reported lead and GRR lines and 1 million additional lines of unknown material that EPA projects are likely to contain lead. The reported total is not simply a count of confirmed lead-only pipes: EPA’s dashboard groups together lead lines, where all or part of the line contains lead, and GRR lines, which are galvanized iron or steel pipes that may have lead adhering from past contact. EPA’s November 2025 fact sheet explains the national estimate.
How EPA estimates unknown lines
For the FY2025 projection, EPA used state service-line inventory information. It estimated unknown lines likely to contain lead using each state’s reported ratio of lead and GRR lines to reported lead, GRR, and non-lead lines, then added those projected lines to the reported lead and GRR totals. State shares of the projected national total informed funding allotments, subject to a statutory minimum of 1% per state.
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The method has an important limitation: when a state reported no inventory data for a system, EPA treated that system’s connections as non-lead for this calculation. When a state reported some categories but omitted non-lead counts, EPA estimated the missing count from total connections minus reported lines. Treating systems with no inventory submission as non-lead can understate projected totals if reporting gaps conceal lead lines. The map is therefore a planning estimate shaped by available reporting, not a direct pipe-by-pipe inspection.
EPA’s inventory dashboard distinguishes lead, GRR, non-lead, and unknown-material lines. Non-lead counts may be underreported because states are not required to report them until November 1, 2027; some states have already reported them. An absent or incomplete dashboard entry is not proof that a system has no such lines. EPA’s Service Line Inventory dashboard describes the categories and reporting caveat.
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Can this map identify the states “worst hit” by lead contamination?
Not on the evidence available here. EPA’s map is about projected pipe counts, and the official pages identified for this article do not provide a readable ranked table of state values. Without a verified source map and its underlying state figures, naming a top state or assigning ranks would be speculation. Color bins on a map are not a substitute for a verified ranking.
Even a confirmed ranking by projected service-line count would not rank states by tap-water lead concentration, the share of residents with lead in their water, or individual exposure risk. Those questions require different evidence, such as water testing. A larger state may have more potentially lead-containing lines in absolute terms without having the highest rate per household or the highest measured concentrations.
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Why map estimates change between releases
State figures should only be compared when their data year, categories, and estimation method are clear. EPA’s 2023 7th DWINSA report used a statistical sample of systems surveyed in 2021, extrapolating the responses and applying state-specific ratios to lines that were undiscovered or not reported. EPA updated data for FY2024 allotments using state questionnaire updates collected in 2023. For FY2025, it switched to state inventory data, which it described as its best available national and state-level information. The 2023 DWINSA report documents the earlier survey-based approach.
Before comparing a state number on one map with a number on another, check:
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- Vintage: Which year’s inventory, survey, or update supplied the data?
- What is counted: Is the figure reported lead alone, lead plus GRR, or a projected total that includes unknown lines?
- How unknowns are handled: Are unknown-material lines excluded, estimated, or treated another way?
- Missing systems: Does the method account for systems that did not submit inventory data, and how?
- What the map measures: Is it infrastructure or sampled water quality?
These differences can make two maps look like they disagree even when each is describing a different data vintage or quantity. EPA’s 2025 estimate should not be mixed with the older survey-based projection without labeling the source and method.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the map says about your home
A state-level pipe estimate cannot tell you what your service line is made of or whether your tap water contains harmful quantities of lead. Lead may enter water as plumbing materials corrode. EPA identifies lead service lines as the leading source where present, while household faucets and fixtures can also contribute. Water chemistry—including high acidity or low mineral content—can affect corrosion. Lead dissolved in water has no reliable visible, taste, or smell warning; testing is the way to determine whether water contains harmful quantities.
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- PATENTED TECHNOLOGIES FOR LEAD DETECTION: This DIY kit offers three distinct levels of lead detection (0-4 PPB, 5-15 PPB, 15+ PPB) for tap and well water, providing a clear understanding of lead contamination in your water.
- EASY 5-MINUTE TESTING: The Safe Home test kit delivers quick and precise results in just 5 minutes, backed by our Certificate of Analysis (COA). Perfect for home testing, with clear and accurate outcomes every time.
- EXPERT CUSTOMER SUPPORT: With over 40 years of experience in lead testing, Safe Home provides expert assistance before, during, and after testing. Safe Home kits contain easy to follow trilingual instructions (EN/FR/ES).
- OPTIONAL TESTING AT OUR EPA-CERTIFIED LAB: Inside this same package is a second kit that provides everything needed to collect a water sample and send it to our EPA-certified lab for professional analysis. You have multiple testing packages to choose from, for up to 48 different parameters (see attached list). *Note: Fees are required for optional testing at our EPA-certified lab.
- Ask your water utility about your service line. Request the material listed for the line serving your address and ask what testing options or local guidance are available.
- Check your system’s latest Consumer Confidence Report. It provides drinking-water system information, but it is not a test of your individual tap.
- Ask about a certified laboratory. Your utility or local drinking-water authority can direct you to testing options and explain how to collect a sample properly.
- Use EPA’s Protect Your Tap tool if useful. It can help you identify potential service-line materials, but it does not replace confirmation from the utility or a water test. EPA’s Protect Your Tap tool provides household guidance.
- Follow local flushing advice. Ask your utility for instructions appropriate to your plumbing and situation rather than assuming one routine applies everywhere.
Health guidance and the 15 ppb action level
EPA and CDC state that there is no known safe level of lead in a child’s blood; EPA’s maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water is zero. The 15 parts per billion (ppb) lead action level is not a safe-exposure threshold. It is a regulatory trigger: a water system must take additional action if more than 10% of its tap samples exceed that level. A result below the action level does not establish that every home’s water is lead-free. EPA’s lead-in-drinking-water guidance explains the action level and health context.
When a filter may help
A pitcher or point-of-use filter certified to reduce lead can be an exposure-reduction measure while you follow advice from your utility or local health authority. Check that the specific product is certified for lead reduction, and follow its installation and cartridge-replacement instructions. A filter is not a diagnostic test, a guarantee of safe water, or a substitute for utility guidance and testing. EPA provides a tool for identifying pitcher filters certified to reduce lead.
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