Lead Service Lines

There are several methods homeowners can use to determine what type of water service line is in their house. First, locate the water service line entering the structure. Typically, these are found in the basement and have a valve and water meter installed on the pipe after the point of entry.

• Scratch Test - Carefully scratch the surface of the pipe with a flathead screwdriver. Each type of pipe will produce a different scratch. If the scraped area is shiny and silver, the pipe is lead. If the scraped area looks like the color of a penny, the pipe is copper. If the scratched area remains a dull gray color, the pipe is galvanized steel.
• Magnet test - A magnet will stick to a galvanized steel pipe, but will not stick to copper or lead pipes.
• Tapping test -  Tapping a lead pipe with a coin produces a dull noise. Tapping a copper pipe or a galvanized steel pipe with a coin produces a metallic ringing noise.

• Additional tips to identify your service line
  • Identify the year your home was built here and search your address.
    • 1929 and older are most likely to contain lead service lines
    • 1930 to 1959 are less likely to have a lead service line
    • 1960 to 1986 are least likely to have a lead service line
    • 1987 and newer should not have lead service line

Once you've discovered the material of your service line, let us know here.

Minot’s know lead service lines map is available at https://geohub-minotnd.hub.arcgis.com/pages/division-water.

Lead is a common toxic metal that can enter your drinking water through pipes and plumbing materials made of lead. The Centers for Disease Control states that exposure to lead, even at low levels, can damage children’s developing brains and nervous systems, contributing to lower IQs, hearing loss, and learning and behavior problems in and out of the classroom.

Source water from a water treatment plant rarely contains lead. Instead, lead can be released into water from plumbing materials that contain lead. Common sources of lead in drinking water include lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures, as well as galvanized pipes, brass or chrome-plated fixtures containing lead, and lead solder connecting copper piping. When present, a lead service line can be the biggest contributor of lead in drinking water.

The Minot Water Treatment Plant uses a compound of polyphosphates that reduce the corrosion of the water line. By reducing that corrosion, it may help in reducing the amount of lead that leaches into the water through the lead pipes.

You can take several steps to reduce exposure to lead and copper from drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you:

• Run your water to flush out lead and copper. The longer water sits in your home piping; the more lead and copper may leach from lead and copper-containing pipes and fixtures. Before drinking, flush your pipes for several minutes by running your tap, taking a shower, doing laundry, or a load of dishes. This will bring in fresh water from the distribution system.
• Use cold water for cooking and for preparing baby formula. Do not cook with or drink water from the hot water tap; lead and copper dissolve more easily in hot water. Do not use water from the hot water tap to make baby formula.
• Identify and replace lead service lines and plumbing fixtures that contain lead. Lead service lines have been identified as a large contributor to lead in drinking water nationwide, replacing these old water lines can help reduce exposure to lead. Brass faucets, fittings, and valves, including those advertised as “lead-free” may contribute lead to a home’s drinking water. The law currently allows pipes, fittings, and fixtures with up to 0.25 percent (25%) weighted average of lead to be identified as lead-free. Plumbing materials that are lead-free may be identified by looking for lead-free certification marks.
• Consider using a filter certified for lead removal. Read the package to be sure the filter is approved to reduce lead. Verify the claims of manufacturers by checking with independent certifying organizations that provide lists of treatment devices that they have certified. Remember, boiling water DOES NOT remove lead from water.
• Regularly clean faucet aerators. Aerators, the screens at the end of faucets, can collect debris. Rinse out collected materials to reduce debris accumulation.
• Use an alternative source. If lead is identified in your home, until the concentration of lead in drinking water is mitigated, you should use a different source of drinking water (i.e. bottled water).