Henrico residents asked to test, take survey about water service lines

Henrico officials are encouraging county residents to take an online survey to identify the materials of their home’s water service line.

The survey is part of the Lead Service Line Replacement Program, an initiative of the Department of Public Utilities aimed at replacing lead-based water service lines that connect a home’s internal plumbing to the water main.

A water service line is the pipe that runs from the water main to a home or building’s internal plumbing. Henrico County is responsible for the line between the water main and the water meter at the right-of-way/property line, and individual property owners are responsible for the line from the meter at the right-of-way/property line to the property (house, building, or other structure, for example).

Recent changes to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule for safe drinking water require the county to locate and replace water service lines that are composed of lead pipes that easily corrode. Unlike other drinking water contaminants, lead usually is not present in the drinking water source but rather results from the distribution system or on-site plumbing itself. Lead gets into water at the tap when water corrodes lead in pipes, fixtures, and solder. The most impactful way to reduce the risk of exposure to lead in drinking water, according to officials, is to remove the service line that brings water to homes from the water main in the street, if it is lead.

Older homes, especially those built before 1986, are more likely to have lead service lines, fixtures, and solder, but even newer “lead-free” fixtures could contain lead.

To determine whether their pipes are lead, copper or galvanized steel, participants will need a magnet, coin, camera and access to their home’s water service line (the pipe that runs from the water main to the home’s internal plumbing).

For details about how to conduct the quick test and access the county's survey, click here.