Lead service line
The underground pipe connecting an older home to the water main, made of lead.
A lead service line is the pipe that carries water from the street main into your house. Millions installed before the mid-1980s are made of lead, which can leach into drinking water — there is no safe level of lead for children. Homes built before 1986 are the most likely to have lead service lines, lead solder, or brass fixtures with lead content. Your water utility can tell you whether your service line is lead, and many areas now offer replacement programs. A scratch test (lead is soft, dull gray, and a magnet won't stick) on the incoming pipe near the meter is a quick first check. See our guide to [maintaining a historic or century home](/guides/historic-and-century-home-maintenance).