The health picture
Lead can dissolve into drinking water, especially when water has been sitting in the pipe for several hours. Health Canada's advice is to keep lead exposure to a minimum, with infants, small children and pregnancy the greatest concern. Toronto treats its water to reduce corrosion, but the only lasting fix is removing the lead pipe. In Scarborough, older parts of the former township, including some streets in Cliffside, Birch Cliff and around Kingston Road, are where lead services are most likely.
Checking your own pipe
- Find where the water enters. Go to the meter and main valve in the basement, usually on the front wall.
- Look at the pipe before the meter. This is the part of the service that comes from the street.
- Check the colour. Lead is dull grey. Copper is brownish orange. Galvanized steel is grey but hard, often with threaded joints.
- Do the scratch test. Rub the pipe lightly with a coin edge. Lead marks easily and gleams silver beneath; steel resists.
- Try the magnet test. A fridge magnet will stick to galvanized steel but not to lead or copper.
- Look for a bulge. Lead joints are often wiped into a rounded, bulb-like shape where the pipe meets a fitting.
The service has two owners. The City has the stretch from main to lot line; you have the stretch from lot line to basement. Doing only half leaves lead in the circuit, so plan both together.
What not to rely on
- Assuming new fixtures solve it. A brand-new kitchen faucet does nothing about a lead service pipe in the basement.
- Drinking first-draw water. Until replacement, let the cold tap run several minutes first thing, and drink and cook only with cold water.
- Boiling to remove lead. Boiling does not remove lead. It can concentrate it.
- Relying on a filter without checking. Only filters certified for lead reduction help, and cartridges need changing on schedule.
- Disturbing the pipe. Bending or hitting a lead line during other work can release particles. Mention it to anyone working nearby.
Getting it replaced
If the scratch test shows lead, or a water test comes back with elevated levels, it is time to plan replacement. Our lead pipe replacement service covers the private side and can be scheduled to line up with City work on the public side. Galvanized pipe that is rusting through is not a lead risk, but it brings its own problems, which leak detection can help pin down. While you are in the basement, note the age of the water heater too, and see our water heater lifespan guide.