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Advice Reel: Water Safety

Lead Water Service Lines: What to Know

Most Oakville homes never had a lead pipe. Some of the oldest ones did. Here is how to find out, and what to do if yours is one of them.

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The short version

A water service line is the line that brings water from the municipal main under the street to your home. In older Canadian homes, often those built before the mid-1950s, that pipe was sometimes made of lead. Lead can dissolve into water, particularly after it has sat still in the pipe for hours. Health Canada states no level of lead exposure to be safe, and its guideline for drinking water is very low.

Newer homes in Oakville are unlikely to have a lead service. Older houses in the south end, especially around the original town core, are the ones worth checking. Some of those homes had their service replaced decades ago. Others did not. The only way to be certain is to look.

A young child washing hands at a bathroom sink
A young child washing hands at a bathroom sink.

Step by step

  1. Look at the pipe. Find where water enters the house, usually at the front wall of the basement, just before the primary shut-off valve. Lead looks matte grey, feels soft, and gives a dead thud under a tapping screwdriver. Scratching it gently with a key reveals a shiny silver colour. It will not attract a magnet.
  2. Check the joints. Lead pipe often has a bulging, rounded joint where it meets the valve.
  3. Contact Halton Region. The Region can tell you about its records for your address and about any testing or replacement programs available.
  4. Test the water. A lab test is the only way to know whether lead is actually reaching your tap.
  5. Plan replacement. The full answer is to replace the service line on your side of the property line, coordinated with the municipality's side.
Until it is replaced: run the cold faucet for several minutes first thing each day or whenever water has sat unused, use only cold water for drinking and meals, and consider a filter certified to remove lead.

Keep this kit by the main shut-off

  • Flashlight or headlamp
  • Bucket and old towels
  • Adjustable wrench and slip-joint pliers
  • Flange plunger for toilets, cup plunger for sinks
  • Label on the main valve so anyone can find it

Mistakes to avoid

  • Replacing only your side. If the city side is also lead, partial replacement can disturb the pipe and temporarily raise lead levels. Coordinate both portions where possible.
  • Assuming a renovation fixed it. New copper or PEX inside the house does not mean the service line from the street was changed.
  • Boiling water to remove lead. Heating water leaves the lead in, and evaporation can even raise its level.
  • Ignoring galvanized pipe. Older galvanized pipe downstream of a lead line can collect lead particles. See galvanized pipes in older homes.

Stop and phone a plumber when

  1. 1A ceiling or wall starts dripping
  2. 2More than one drain backs up at once
  3. 3You smell gas or sewage indoors
  4. 4A valve will not turn or drips when touched

When to call

Call a plumber once you suspect or confirm a lead service. The plumber can inspect the line at the meter, explain how replacement works and coordinate with the Region on the municipal side. Our department page on water service line replacement describes the work, and water filtration systems covers interim filters.

If you are buying an older home, add the service line to your inspection list. Our buying a home plumbing checklist covers what else to ask.

Straight answers to common calls

Does Halton Region test for lead?

Halton Region has offered lead testing and information programs for residents. Contact the Region directly for the current details for your address.

Is a lead service line common in Oakville?

Most Oakville homes were built after lead service lines stopped being used. The concern is mainly with older homes in the historic parts of town.

Who pays to replace the city side?

The municipal portion is the responsibility of the Region. Ask Halton Region how they coordinate with homeowner replacements.

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