Baltimore has a water problem — and it’s buried under every street in the city.
The pipes that carry drinking water to roughly 1.8 million people across Baltimore and surrounding counties are, on average, 75 to 80 years old. Some date back to the late 1800s. Cast iron mains that were state-of-the-art when they were installed are now cracking, leaking, and breaking at alarming rates.
The city replaces about 15 miles of water mains per year, but with an estimated 3,400 miles of pipe in the system, the math is daunting. At that pace, full replacement would take well over 200 years.
The Main Break Problem
If you’ve lived in Baltimore for any length of time, you’ve probably seen the orange cones and emergency crews clustered around a gushing street. Water main breaks are a fact of life here — particularly during winter months when cold temperatures stress aging cast-iron pipes, causing them to crack and burst.
These breaks don’t just flood intersections. They trigger boil water advisories that affect entire neighborhoods. In January 2026 alone, multiple water main breaks in the Baltimore region left hundreds of residents without water service, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Nationally, an estimated 6.75 billion gallons of treated drinking water slip through cracks in America’s pipes every single day. Baltimore contributes more than its share of that figure.
Lead in the Lines
Beyond the aging mains, Baltimore faces a lead service line challenge that the EPA has put under a national spotlight. The city has an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 lead service lines — the smaller pipes connecting water mains to individual homes and buildings.
The EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, finalized in 2024, require all water systems nationwide to inventory and plan for the replacement of lead service lines. The agency estimates roughly 4 million lead service lines remain across the country, down from an earlier estimate of 9 million.
For Baltimore, the mandate is clear but the funding gap is real. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave Maryland’s overall infrastructure a C grade in its 2025 report card, noting that the state faces a “multi-billion-dollar funding gap” across all infrastructure categories.
Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding is helping — Maryland has received allocations from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for lead pipe replacement and drinking water improvements. But the sheer scale of the problem means federal dollars alone won’t close the gap.
What’s in Baltimore’s Water?
Baltimore draws its drinking water from surface water reservoirs. Like most surface water systems that use chlorine disinfection, the primary contaminants of regulatory concern are disinfection byproducts — specifically haloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (TTHMs). These form when chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic matter in the water.
The city’s water treatment processes are designed to keep these compounds within EPA limits, but they’re a constant balancing act for any utility relying on chlorinated surface water.
Maryland has also been conducting statewide PFAS sampling as part of the growing national effort to address “forever chemicals” in drinking water. PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — have become one of the most significant emerging contaminant concerns in the country.
Why Your Water Bill Keeps Going Up
If your Baltimore water and sewer bill feels like it increases every year, you’re not imagining it. Baltimore has some of the highest water and sewer rates on the East Coast, and those rates have been climbing steadily.
Multiple factors drive the increases: the cost of replacing aging infrastructure, compliance with federal and state consent decrees related to wastewater overflows, and the ongoing debt service from decades of deferred maintenance catching up all at once.
Nationally, water and sewer bills rose 24 percent over the five-year period ending in 2025, according to Bluefield Research. The Mid-Atlantic region — which includes Baltimore — saw the greatest year-over-year increase in 2024 at 9.5 percent, per a Bank of America analysis.
“The cost of maintaining and upgrading water infrastructure continues to rise, and these costs are being passed down to ratepayers,” Megan Bondar, an analyst at Bluefield Research, noted.
What Can Baltimore Residents Do?
If you’re concerned about lead in your drinking water, here’s where to start:
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Find out if you have a lead service line. Contact the Baltimore City Department of Public Works to check your service line records. Under the EPA’s new rule, utilities are required to complete service line inventories.
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Get your water tested. Lead testing is available through the Baltimore City Health Department and through private labs. Testing is the only way to know your actual exposure level.
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Run your tap before drinking. If your home has lead plumbing or fixtures, run cold water for at least 30 seconds to two minutes before using it for drinking or cooking. This flushes out water that’s been sitting in contact with lead.
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Consider a certified water filter. NSF-certified filters rated for lead removal (look for NSF/ANSI Standard 53 or 58) can significantly reduce lead levels at the point of use. Reverse osmosis systems and certain carbon block filters are effective options.
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Use cold water for cooking. Hot water dissolves lead more readily from pipes and fixtures. Always start with cold water when preparing food or drinks.
Baltimore’s water infrastructure crisis didn’t happen overnight, and it won’t be fixed overnight either. But knowing what’s in your water — and what steps you can take to protect your household — puts you ahead of most residents who never think about it until something goes wrong.
If you’re concerned about your water quality, a certified water treatment professional can test your water and advise on the right solution for your home.