Does my house have a lead pipe?
No public database can see the pipe under your lawn, and anyone who says otherwise is guessing. What you can check: how much lead your water utility found in the homes most likely to have lead lines, from its own EPA filings. Then the pipe itself, which takes two minutes and a fridge magnet.
Then look at the pipe itself
Find where the water line comes through the wall or floor, usually in the basement or crawlspace next to the meter or the main shut-off. Check the few inches before the valve. Scratch it gently with a key and hold a fridge magnet to it.
| Material | Looks | Key scratch | Magnet | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | Dull grey, often with a rounded bulge where it joins the meter. | Soft. A key scrapes it bright silver, like a new coin. | Does not stick. | Replace it |
| Galvanized steel | Grey, threaded joints, sometimes rusty. | Hard. Stays grey. | Sticks. | Ask the utilityCounts as lead under EPA rules if it was ever downstream of a lead line. |
| Copper | Brown or green outside. | Shows penny colour. | Does not stick. | Fine |
| Plastic | White, black or blue. Taps hollow. | Nothing to scrape. | Does not stick. | Fine |
Painted, wrapped or out of reach? Your utility has had to publish a service line inventory since October 2024, and it may list your address as lead, non-lead or unknown. A tap test from a certified lab tells you what you are actually drinking.
Over 15 ppb in the latest round
552 systems are over EPA's action level right now, and 2,878 have been at some point. The largest, by people served: