Check. Test. Date.

Cleveland Water customers can be confident that the water delivered to your home is safe. We take several actions to protect you and your family from the risk of lead. However, there may be lead in your home plumbing.

Places that may contain lead include city-owned service lines, customer-owned service lines, and household plumbing and fixtures. There are several actions you can take to know the potential for lead in your home plumbing.

Check the type of material your service line is made of on our new interactive map. The two parts of the service line are mapped. You will need to click on each segment to learn its type of material.

• City-owned service lines are the responsibility of Cleveland Water. In general, if your home was built after 1953 or your connection is larger than one inch in diameter, it is unlikely that you have a lead city-owned service line.
• Customer-owned service lines are owned and the responsibility of the property owner. The divide between city and customer responsibility is the curb stop, which is generally in the treelawn. Even when the city-owned part of the connection is lead, 91% of customers still have a copper customer connection. If your connection is shown as unknown, please take pictures of your service line and submit them to us by following information in the "Test" section below.

Interactive Service Line Map (NEW)

Static Map of City-Side Lead Service Line Percentages

Use the magnet and penny test to determine what type of material your service line is made from and record the results using our Service Line Reporting Form. The customer-owned service line extends from the curb stop into your basement or crawl space. Identification of the type of material used for service lines can be done using a magnet and a penny. Your service line material should be tested where the line first enters the home, which is typically in the basement. Test the pipe before the main shut off valve which is before the water meter.

After you send us photos, we will update your service line material in the interactive map.

Magnet & Penny Test Instructions

 Magnet & Penny Test Video

Service Line Material Reporting Form

Knowing the date of installation of the plumbing in your home will help you understand the risk of lead exposure through pipes, solder, and faucets. In general, plumbing or fixtures installed before 1986 potentially have lead, as can faucets made between 1986 and 2014

• 1954 - Homes in the Cleveland Water service area built this year or after should not have lead city-owned service lines as Cleveland Water stopped using lead in 1953.
• 1986 - Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act were enacted to help reduce lead in drinking water. The amendments banned the use of lead pipes for drinking water, reduced the allowable level of lead in plumbing solder to less than 0.2%, and reduced the allowable level of lead in brass used for drinking water fittings and fixtures to less than 8%.
• 1997 - Cleveland Water begins adding orthophosphate during the water treatment process. This food-grade chemical forms a protective coating on the inside of pipes and plumbing, reducing the likelihood of lead dissolving into the water. Since then, our lead testing results have been below the federal requirement of 15 parts per billion.
• 2014 - The Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act reduced the allowable level of lead in brass alloys used for faucets, fittings, and meters for drinking water to less than 0.25%.
• 2018 - New Ohio Administrative Code rules go into effect requiring specific notifications, offers for filters, sampling, etc. for water line repairs and replacements in areas that may have lead service lines.