How to find out if you have a lead service line
Every US water system had to publish an inventory. Roughly four million lead lines remain, replacement runs $4,700 to $12,000 each, and finding out about yours is free.
Updated 2026-09-03 - 6 min read
What changed in 2024
Under the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, finalised in October 2024, water systems had to compile and publish an inventory of service line materials and plan to replace all lead lines within ten years.
EPA initially estimated 9.2 million lead lines nationally; after utilities submitted inventories, the agency revised the figure down to roughly four million in November 2025. The estimated cost per line is $4,700 to $6,930 in EPA's analysis, while utility reports and the water industry association put actual costs at $8,247 to $12,000 or more.
The practical consequence for a household is that the information now exists and your utility is obliged to make it public.
Three ways to find out about your line
Ask the utility for the inventory entry for your address. Many publish a searchable map; the rest will answer a direct request. The entry will say lead, galvanised requiring replacement, non-lead, or unknown, and 'unknown' is extremely common in older systems.
Look at the pipe yourself where it enters the building, usually near the water meter. Scratch a small area with a coin: lead is dull grey and scratches to a shiny silver, is soft, and is not magnetic. Copper scratches to a bright penny colour. Galvanised steel is grey, holds a magnet, and often has threaded joints. Plastic is obvious.
Note that the service line has two halves, the utility side and the property owner's side, and they can be different materials. Checking inside the building tells you about your half only.
What to do while a lead line is in place
Use a filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead reduction on the tap used for drinking and cooking. This is the single most effective interim step.
Run the tap until cold before drinking after water has sat for hours, and never cook with or make formula from hot tap water, which leaches more.
Do not rely on partial replacement as a fix. Replacing only one half of a service line can temporarily increase lead release through galvanic effects, which is why the rule pushes full replacement.
Ask the utility about its replacement schedule for your street and whether it covers the private side. Programmes and cost-sharing vary widely between systems.
Common questions
- How do I know if my service line is lead?
- Ask your water utility for its published inventory entry for your address, which the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements require it to make public, and check the pipe where it enters the building. Lead is soft, dull grey, scratches to shiny silver and is not magnetic.
- How much does lead service line replacement cost?
- EPA's analysis estimates $4,700 to $6,930 per line; documented utility costs run $8,247 to $12,000 or more. Many utilities have replacement programmes with varying cost-sharing for the private portion, so ask before assuming the full amount falls to the owner.
- Is my water safe if the line is lead?
- Lead exposure has no known safe level, which is why the rule requires replacement rather than a threshold. Corrosion control treatment reduces leaching substantially, and a filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead on the drinking tap is effective in the meantime. Blood lead testing is a question for a clinician.
Related
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Umwelt publishes public records and explains the standards that govern them. This is not legal, engineering, environmental consulting or medical advice, and it does not assess any specific property or person.