Water service lines are small pipes that carry water from the City of Suffolk’s water mains, located in the streets, into individual homes and other buildings.

For property owners with the meter in a meter box outside the home, the City of Suffolk is responsible for the service line from the main in the street up to and including the meter box. The property owner is responsible for the service line from the customer side of the meter box to the plumbing inside the home. The meter is typically located near the street, behind curb, or near sidewalk (if applicable).

Service lines can be made of galvanized steel, copper, plastic, lead, cast iron or ductile iron.

Lead was commonly used for water service lines until 1960, and allowed in Virginia until the lead ban was enforced in 1990. A national lead ban outlawed lead solder and lead in plumbing fixtures in 1986. But, from 1986 to 2014, plumbing fixtures could have up to 8% lead and still be categorized as “lead free.” Current standards for “lead free” fixtures allow no more than 0.25% lead content.

Many homes and buildings, especially those built before 1990, may have service lines and/or internal plumbing and fixtures that are made of or contain lead.

Lead can be found in paint, ceramics, pipes and plumbing materials, solders, gasoline, batteries, and cosmetics. Plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, fittings, etc.), indoor copper plumbing pipes contain lead solder.

When water leaves the water treatment plant, it is lead-free. The water mains underground that transport water from the treatment plant do not add lead to the drinking water. Lead can get into drinking water from the service line between the street and your home, or from the lead solder used in the plumbing inside your home. When water sits in the service line or your home plumbing without being used for several hours, the lead may dissolve into the water. To limit lead and copper service lines corroding from the inside of the pipe and potentially releasing high lead or copper levels into the drinking water, the EPA requires the use of a corrosion control inhibitor to prevent the corrosion from occurring. The City of Suffolk water system uses a corrosion control inhibitor in the water treatment process.

If you think you have lead solder, flush your system by running cold water for about 5 minutes whenever the water in your home has not been used for more than 6 hours. A licensed plumber can also replace pipes that have lead solder with lead-free pipes.

Yes, You can buy a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) 53-certified water filtration system, which can be installed at the faucet, or a filter pitcher that will remove lead. A water filter installed at the faucet will remove lead that may have entered the water from the service line, indoor plumbing, and plumbing fixtures.

The City of Suffolk is currently developing a lead service line replacement plan as required by current EPA regulations

Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems.

You can take several actions to decrease your lead exposure, including:

• Replacing your lead service line.
• Getting a National Sanitation Foundation(NSF)-Certified home water treatment device, faucet, or pitcher filter that removes lead. The device must be both NSF 42- and NSF 53- certified to remove lead. Devices and filters installed at the faucet will remove any lead contained in indoor plumbing and plumbing fixtures.
• Buying plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, sinks, hose bibs, etc.) that have zero- or low-lead content meeting the current “lead-free” requirements. Read the labels of any new plumbing fixtures closely.
• Running tap water for about five minutes before you use it for drinking or cooking, if the water has gone unused for more than 6 hours. In doing so, you are flushing the stagnated water and getting freshwater from the water main pipe.
• Using fresh, cold, running water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula.
• Removing and cleaning faucet screens and aerators every 6 months.

DO NOT boil water to remove lead. Boiling water does not remove lead and can increase lead concentration in water.

Yes. Human skin does not absorb lead in water. Bathing and showering should be safe for you and your children, even if the water contains lead over EPA’s action level.

Visit the EPA’s Lead andCopper Rule website

Not necessarily. If you live in a building that was built before 1986, it is possible that your plumbing fixtures contain lead or lead solder was used at the joints of your interior piping. A licensed plumber can help figure out if you have lead material in your indoor plumbing, or you can use an EPA-approved lead test kit.