As part of a nationwide initiative related to the Lead and Copper Rule, the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, is requesting residents and property owners submit information on their water service pipe material. This initiative will allow water providers to document the presence of lead service pipes in their systems.
Plastic pipes are found in a variety of materials and colors. When tapped with a coin, they won’t produce a ringing sound like the following metal pipes will.
When scratched, the pipe is made of copper if it becomes orange and shiny like a penny. A magnet will NOT stick to it.
If the pipe is silvery gray and hard to scratch, place your magnet on it. If the magnet sticks, your pipe is galvanized steel or iron.
If the pipe is silvery gray and: 1) is easily scratched, 2) the metal seems soft, and 3) a magnet doesn’t stick to it, you likely have a lead pipe.
Service lines carry water into your home from the water system’s water pipe. Although each community may vary, the service line in its entirety, from the street to the building or home, is generally considered private (owned by the water customer) since its sole purpose is the convey potable water to a single dwelling, business, or building. Often the portion of the pipe within the right-of-way or from the property line/easement is maintained by the water system. Each water system has its own setup and therefore contact your water system to verify the actual location of where the service line transitions from public to private for you.
We’re looking at the stretch of pipe where it comes into the basement/house before it attaches to the water meter, if there is no water meter, then the test is somewhere within the first 18” of where it comes into the basement/house.
Take the survey here. It will have easy-to-follow instructions to identify the type of material your service line is made of. You will be able to report your findings and follow the steps to provide for the inventory.
The preference is to complete the survey online. If you need assistance, please contact your Water Service Provider or call (701) 751-8363 and someone will help you.
Please contact your water provider.
If you believe you have a lead service line, you can have your water tested and use a water filter certified to remove lead (be sure NSF/ANSI 53 is included on the packaging for proper certification to meet standards in removing lead) until the line is replaced. Contact your water provider for more information about testing your water and replacement.
Water systems across the state of North Dakota are part of a nationwide initiative. They should contact their water provider to confirm which survey is correct for their property.
Yes. While all homes and buildings with service lines newer than 1987 are lead-free per the Safe Drinking Water Act Lead Ban in 1987, you still need to be included in the survey. Your water system may have already taken care of this for you by providing your address and verification of non-lead based on publicly available records such as building permits and tap records.
This is not currently part of the inventory. However, if you have lead inside your home or building, it is the responsibility of the owner.
We encourage you to review the information anyway, even though you are not included in the project, the information on the website and the customer survey are open to the public and available to you for educational purposes. If you feel you have a lead service pipe, we encourage you to contact your local plumber.
The customer survey will walk you through this very question. Water customers should be checking their service pipe in the first 18 inches where it enters the home or business. This is generally in a basement, a crawl space, and/or in a utility room.
