Housing

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Request for Housing Inspection

Renters with concerns about conditions of their living units can call the Health Department at 781-316-3170 to determine whether their situation warrants an inspection.

Lead Information

Lead is a dangerous metal. It can cause serious neurological damage with prolonged exposure. It's especially harmful to children under the age of 6. Lead was a common ingredient in paint before 1978 and plumbing before 1986.

Learn about lead and the Massachusetts Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP).

Children are at higher risk of the health effects of lead. If you would like to have your child tested, please contact their health care provider.

The Arlington Health Department can assist if there are lead concerns in your home and you meet all four (4) of the following requirements:

Property was built prior to 1978

You are renting the property

There is a child under 6 years old living in the property

The home has not previously been de-leaded (visit the Lead Safe Homes database)

If you have questions about Lead in your home, please call the Arlington Health Department at (781) 316-3170 or the Massachusetts Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) at (800) 532-9571 or (617) 624-5757.

Lead in Drinking Water

You cannot see, taste or smell lead in drinking water. Contact the Arlington Water Department at 781-316-3106 or arlingtonma.gov/water for more information about lead in your drinking water and how to get your water tested by a state certified laboratory. View the list of labs.

Learn more about Lead in Drinking Water and how to check your service line for lead at through the Federal Environmental Protection Agency..

Arlington Water Service Line Inventory: The Town of Arlington has been working on its Water Line Service Inventory since 2016. The inventory includes the pipe material and other information for both the system-owned and customer-owned portions of the service line the water main and a structure. The Inventory is available for the public review at Public Works, 51 Grove Street, floor 2 or may view the inventory online. For additional information, visit the Water Service Line Inventory page.

Hoarding Response Team

Arlington’s Hoarding Response Team (HRT) is a collaboration between the Health Department, the Council on Aging, and the Police Department. The HRT’s goal is to effectively work with residents living in cluttered conditions that could be harmful to their health and safety, and the well-being of first responders and the public. The HRT uses a hazard reduction model to assist residents in achieving healthier and safer living conditions.

Referrals to the HRT may come directly from a concerned family member, neighbor, health care provider, or other visitor who has witnessed cluttered conditions inside a home or has reason to believe such conditions exist. These situations are often discovered by first responders during emergency response events.

Contact the Health Department at (781) 316-3170 to make a referral.