Customer Self-Reporting

By completing and submitting the Material Self-Report form below, you can find out the material of your water service line while also helping us improve our inventory. Even if your line is not lead, letting us know can reduce our need to investigate your service line.

At the end of the survey, you can opt-in to showing your submission on the Self-Report Status Map.

Discovering the material of your service line is the first step toward preventing exposure to lead. 


Steps to Determine Service Line Material

Step 1: Gather a strong magnet and a key or coin.

Step 2: Find where your service line enters your building. There will likely be a valve in a basement, crawl space, or utility closet.

Step 3: Test the material of the pipe.

  • Have an adult scratch the pipe with the key or coin to reveal its color.
  • Hold the magnet to the pipe and see if it sticks. 
  • Take one or more well-lit photos capturing the results of the tests.

Step 4: Compare your results to these options.

  • If the material is red, blue, black, or white, the pipe is plastic
  • If the material is the color of a penny (dull brown or greenish), and a magnet does not stick, the pipe is copper
  • If the material is dark yellow or golden, the pipe is brass
  • If the material is dull gray, and a magnet sticks to it, the pipe is galvanized steel
  • If the material is gray, shines brightly, is easily scraped, and a magnet does NOT stick to it, the pipe is lead

Step 5: Report your findings by filling out the Self Reporting Survey, below.

Pipe Examples Image


Next Steps

If your service line is plastic, copper, or brass:

  • These materials are generally accepted as safe for plumbing for water lines. 
  • There is still a chance that lead fittings or solder could have been used somewhere in your plumbing system. If you are concerned about lead in your drinking water, contact the Water Quality Lab for a sampling kit by calling 757-441-5678 or visit Drinking Water for more information. 

If your service line is lead or galvanized steel:

  • Consider replacing your service line. At this time, the cost of replacing the customer-side of the service line is the responsibility of the property owner. However, you can sign up for the city's service line replacement program at no cost.
  • Check your submission status here or contact us for more details.