Water service lines are small pipes that carry water from the City of Norfolk’s water mains, located in the streets, into individual homes and buildings. Service lines can be made of plastic, brass, copper, cast iron, ductile iron, lead, or galvanized steel (which can have lead). Homes built before 1988 may have lead pipes that connect the home to the City of Norfolk’s water mains. Homes built after 1988 should not have a lead service line.
When water leaves the City of Norfolk water treatment plant, it does not contain lead; it is safe to drink, and it complies with Federal and State standards. Lead can get into drinking water from the plumbing inside your home/building or from a lead service line.
If your service line is lead, the lead may seep into the water when it sits in the line after not being used for many hours, such as overnight. This poses a potential health risk to our customers.
City of Norfolk is proactively completing an inventory of service line materials to better understand our water system and protect our customers. Read about Material Verification for more on this process.
