Lead & Copper Rule

Lead can affect almost every organ and system in your body. Young children and infants are particularly vulnerable to lead. A dose of lead that would have little effect on an adult can have a significant effect on a child.

Lead can enter drinking water when pipes and plumbing fixtures that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content.

The service line connects the water main to the property. The water utility owns the utility owned portion of the service line and the customer owns the customer owned portion of the service line.

Water service line materials may be determined by a number of factors, including:

• The year your home was built
• The year your home or property first got water service
• The year your home was renovated, or a new home was built on the property

The installation of lead service lines was prohibited in 1986 and became effective in 1988. If your home was built after 1988 with a new water connection, you should not have a lead service line.

A service line for a home usually enters a home in the basement or crawl space, and is commonly located just prior to the shut off valve.

The publicly owned section of your line connects the main to your home's water meter, typically found in your front yard. The private section of the water service line joins the water meter to your home.

The City is required to inventory the material used on BOTH sides of the water meter.

The City is required to make the service line inventory information publicly accessible. 

Once the inventory is completed, all water systems will be required to provide a description of how they will continue to update their service line inventory, including replacement of any lead pipes or lead soldering to remove potential lead contamination from the drinking water system.