Do you live in an older Toronto home and wonder whether the water pipe coming into your basement is lead? It is a common question, and an important one. Lead water services are most common in homes built before the mid-1950s, and many are still in use.
We replace private-side lead water services across Toronto, Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough. Here is how to check your pipe and what to do if it is lead.
How to check your water service
Go to the basement and find where the water pipe comes through the front wall, usually next to the water meter. Look at the section of pipe before the meter.
Lead is dull grey, soft and shows a shiny silver colour if you scratch it gently with a key. A magnet will not stick to it.
Copper is the colour of a penny, and scratching it shows bright copper.
Galvanized steel is grey but hard, and a magnet sticks to it. It is not lead, but it corrodes over time and can reduce water pressure.
If you are unsure, we can check it during a visit.
Two sides to every water service
The City of Toronto owns the section of pipe from the watermain under the street to your property line. You own the section from the property line into your home. If only one side is replaced, lead remains in the line, so both sides need to be done.
How the City’s priority lead program works
When you commit to replacing the private side, the City replaces its side on a priority basis. Applications take up to two weeks to process, and the City aims to replace its side within 12 weeks of approval. The City encourages homeowners to get several independent quotes for the private side, and it asks for an invoice or a home inspector’s report showing the private side is no longer lead.
Replacing the private side
We replace the private side with new copper, often using trenchless methods that need only a small pit near the property line and an entry point at the house. We restore the entry points and give you the invoice the City asks for.
Protect your family in the meantime
Run the tap until the water is cold before drinking or cooking, especially first thing in the morning. A filter certified for lead reduction is a sensible step while you wait.
Reach out to our team to check your pipe and get a written quote.
