Service Line Identification

What are Water Service Lines and what materials could you have on your property?

A water service line is the pipe that carries water underground from a water main or well into a building. Water service lines can be made of a variety of materials: copper, plastic, galvanized or lead. The service line could also be a mix of several types, especially if repairs have been made to the line at different times in the building’s history.


Who owns the water service lines?

 Cross Valley owns the public pipes that leads up to meter which is usually at the property line. The image below indicates what your water service line might look like and the points you may visually inspect to determine the materials of the water pipe.

Split-Service-Line-Diagram

Instructions on How to Determine your Pipe Material and Fill Out the Customer Survey 

  1. Determine when your home was built and write it down in the survey. Homes built before 1986 might have lead plumbing. You can search the county assessor's office records to look at your property records to determine the year your home was built. 
  2. Locate your water pipe or service line. The water service to your home starts at the meter box and typically connects to your interior plumbing through your foundation in a crawlspace or at an outdoor spigot. 
  3. Do a scratch test on the water pipe you have identified. 
    • Use a key or coin to scratch the pipe close to where it enters the house through the wall or floor.  
    • If the pipe is painted, gently sand or scrape the paint away first to expose the metal. 
    • What color is the pipe underneath? 
    • If it is shiny and orange like a penny, you do not have a lead service line in your home. 
    • If the pipe is grey, you may have a lead service line.  
    • Take a photo of the piping after completion of the scratch test.
  4. Do a magnet test.
    • Hold a magnet to your pipe.
    • If a magnet will stick, you have a steel service line.
    • You may also have plastic pipe which may be red, blue, black, or white. The magnet will not stick.
    • If a magnet won't stick, and it is not obviously plastic, you may have a lead service line.
  5. Use the chart below to determine the material.

Pipe Types

Determine if you have a lead line. 

IF THE PIPE REVEALS A DULL SILVER-GRAY COLOR WHEN SCRATCHED, AND IT IS NOT MAGNETIC, THE PIPE IS LIKELY MADE OF LEAD.

 If you are unable to use the above methods to determine the pipe material, here are some alternatives:

Purchase an EPA-recognized lead swab kit online or at a home improvement store. These kits test the pipe material, not the water inside the pipes. Provide pictures of the plumbing line tested and color change results to Cross Valley. 

Questions or concerns? Please contact us.