Building and Maintaining a House

Lead and Galvanized Water Lines

Checking what your water service line is made of with a key and a magnet, what Stoughton replaced in 2021 and what it still requires, why old galvanized pipe can hold lead, lead in solder and brass inside the house, and the everyday steps that cut exposure.

  • 3 min
  • 6 steps
  • 2 questions
  • Lesson 85 of 111

In this lesson

  1. Check your service line
  2. In Stoughton
  3. Old galvanized pipe
  4. Lead inside the house
  5. Cut your exposure
  6. Try it

Check your service line

The service line is the pipe from the water main to your house; in homes that have one, a lead service line is usually the largest source of lead in the water, and lead pipes are more likely in homes built before 1986 1. EPA’s Protect Your Tap check 2:

  1. Find where the service line comes through the basement wall or floor to the meter.
  2. Gently scratch the pipe on the street side of the meter with a key or coin. Don’t use a knife or make a hole.
  3. Try a magnet.
Pipe Scratch Magnet
Lead soft, shiny silver doesn’t stick
Copper penny color doesn’t stick
Galvanized steel gray, hard to scratch sticks
Left, where to look: the service line comes through the basement wall or floor to the water meter. Right, the quick check with a key or coin and a magnet, done on the pipe before the meter: lead scratches easily to shiny silver and a magnet does not stick; copper scratches to a penny color and a magnet does not stick; galvanized steel is gray, hard to scratch, and a magnet sticks. Galvanized pipe that is or was downstream of a lead line can hold lead and is counted as needing replacement. Bottom, steps to cut exposure: use a filter certified to remove lead, use cold water for drinking and cooking, run the water after it has sat, clean faucet aerators, and have the water tested.
Scratch, magnet, and what to do. Credit: StudyCorner diagram after EPA and Stoughton Utilities · CC BY 4.0 · Source

Quick check

You scratch the pipe by the meter and it’s soft and shiny silver, and a magnet won’t stick. What is it?

In Stoughton

Stoughton’s water leaves the wells without lead and its mains contain none. In 2021 Stoughton Utilities replaced every water service line in the city known to be lead, under an ordinance that declares lead service lines a public nuisance and requires replacing both the public and private portions; a DNR grant paid for the private side at no cost to homeowners. The ordinance also covers lead lines found later, during road work or other digging. The utility keeps a service-line inventory and publishes yearly test results 3. If your check finds lead, call the utility.

Old galvanized pipe

Galvanized steel that is, or ever was, downstream of a lead service line can have adsorbed lead and release it into the water. EPA calls these “galvanized requiring replacement” 4. A 1905 house may have galvanized supply pipes inside as well, often rusted and narrowed; plan to replace them with copper or PEX (Residential Plumbing course).

Lead inside the house

Without a lead service line, the usual sources are brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and lead solder on copper pipe 1. Lead dissolves more where water is acidic or low in minerals, warm, or has sat in the pipes 1 3.

Cut your exposure

EPA’s steps 1:

  • Use a filter certified to remove lead, and don’t run hot water through it.
  • Use cold water for drinking, cooking, and baby formula. Boiling doesn’t remove lead.
  • Run the water after it has sat, by running the tap, showering, or doing laundry or dishes.
  • Clean faucet aerators, where lead particles collect.
  • Test the water through your utility.

Quick check

Does boiling water remove lead?

Try it

Do the scratch-and-magnet check on the service line today, photograph the pipe and the meter, and look the address up in Stoughton Utilities’ service-line inventory. If the two disagree, tell the utility.

Lesson complete

Nice work.

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Sources for this lesson
  1. 1
    Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. verifiedLead enters water as lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures corrode; lead service lines are typically the most significant source; more likely in homes built before 1986; otherwise brass or chrome-plated brass fixtures and lead solder. Steps: use a filter certified to remove lead and don't run hot water through it; clean aerators; use only cold water for drinking, cooking, and formula, since boiling doesn't remove lead; run the water after it has sat; find out what your service line is made of; beware nearby construction; have the water tested.
  2. 2
    Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. verifiedEPA's step-by-step guide to identifying lead service lines: find where the service line enters near the meter; scratch it gently with a key or coin and try a magnet. Lead scratches to shiny silver and a magnet doesn't stick; copper scratches to penny color, magnet doesn't stick; galvanized steel is gray, hard to scratch, and a magnet sticks.
  3. 3
    Lead Education Program. Stoughton Utilities. verifiedStoughton's water has no lead leaving the wells and its mains contain no lead; lead can enter through interior plumbing. In 2021 the utility replaced all water service lines known to be lead, under an ordinance declaring lead service lines a public nuisance and requiring replacement of public and private portions, with a DNR grant covering private portions at no cost to homeowners; the ordinance also covers lead lines found later. The utility keeps a service-line inventory and tests water yearly (Consumer Confidence Report).
  4. 4
    Notice of Confirmed Galvanized Service Line (template). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2024. verifiedGalvanized service lines that are or may have been downstream of a lead service line may have adsorbed lead; EPA defines them as 'galvanized requiring replacement,' and they can contribute lead to drinking water.

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