Lead in drinking water

Our drinking water is safe and clean

We take pride in providing safe and clean drinking water to Edmonton and surrounding areas. Our water quality lab tests for hundreds of parameters, which helps to assure safe, reliable and high-quality drinking water for our customers.

There are no measurable levels of lead in drinking water when it leaves our water treatment plants. However, lead can leach into tap water in homes with lead service lines or from lead-containing plumbing fixtures.

Our lead management initiatives

Since 2008, we have implemented several lead management initiatives to ensure our Edmonton customers with lead service lines on the public (utility) side have good water quality. The program has evolved over the years, and we continue to educate customers and provide advice on how to maintain high water quality for homes with a lead service line.

Together, with the support of the City of Edmonton, our aligned lead mitigation strategy seeks to:

Educate customers and provide advice on how to maintain good water quality when you have a lead service line.
Avoid partial lead service line replacements, as replacing only one section of a lead service line can temporarily increase lead levels. When partial replacements are required for water main repairs and renewals, we notify customers.
Uphold standards for new infill development to work with property owners to connect new water services. We do not support reusing lead service lines for redeveloped properties.

In 2019, Health Canada updated their Guideline Technical Document for lead in drinking water.

About water service lines

A water service line is the pipe that connects your property's plumbing to the water main in the street.

The utility's portion of the service line runs from the water main under the street or alley to the property line.
The homeowner's portion of the service line runs from the property line to the water meter in the home or building.

EPCOR has been proactively replacing lead water services since 2008.

How to tell if you have a lead water service line in your home

Here are a few indicators that you may have lead pipes.

Your home was built prior to 1960 when lead was a material used by homebuilders for water service lines. Today, the preferred materials are copper and polyethylene (plastic tubing).
When the utility's portion of the water service line is lead, it's often likely that your portion could be lead too. If you receive an annual notice from us, this means our records show the utility portion of your service line is lead.

Note: EPCOR does not maintain records for the homeowner's portion of water service lines.

If you're still not sure what your portion of the service line is made of, follow our 3-step process below or watch our video.

How to perform a scratch test for lead pipes

Step 1: Find your emergency water shut-off valve

Find your emergency water shut-off valve and ensure it is in good working order and inspect the pipe coming out of the ground and into the meter.

Step 2: Check the pipe colour

Check the colour of the pipe coming out of the ground. You may have to lightly sand the surface of the pipe. If the pipe is:

The colour of a Canadian penny: It's copper.
Bright blue or black: It's likely plastic tubing (polyethylene). Important: Don't attempt to test the hardness of your pipe if you suspect it's plastic.

Grey: It's galvanized iron or lead.

Step 3: Determine the pipe material

If you think your water service line could be lead, try gently etching into the pipe. Lead is relatively soft metal and scratches easily. Do not attempt this if you think the line could be plastic.

Note: While these are all good indicators of whether your water service pipe is lead, every pipe is a little different. The only way to be sure if you have a lead service line is to have your water tested.

If you have, or suspect you have, a lead service line and would like more information on having your water tested, please contact us.

Notice the compression fitting used to attach a soft lead pipe to galvanized iron pipe.

Examples of what your water service line may look like

Contact us

To inquire if your property has a lead water service line, if you are considering replacing your lead water service line, or you want to learn more about lead service lines, please contact us at 780-412-6858 or leadmanagement@epcor.com.

How to maintain good water quality when you have a lead service line

Install a water filter or in-premise filtration system that is NSF-53 Certified for lead reduction. These can be found at most home improvement stores. If you're using a water filtration system, follow the manufacturer's guidelines. Properly condition new filters before their first use and replace used filter cartridges as required.
Replace in-home lead or brass plumbing fixtures. If you have plumbing fixtures, such as faucets that contain lead or leaded brass, consider replacing them with lead-free fixtures.
Don't use water from your hot taps for drinking, eating, cooking or baking. Only consume water from your cold taps, then heat it up if needed.
Run your cold water tap for at least 3 minutes, or until it is cold, any time you haven't used the water for 6 or more hours if you are drinking or cooking with it. This flushing time can be reduced if combined with other water uses like flushing toilets, showering or running household appliances like the dishwasher or washing machine.
Take note of construction in your area. Following these water quality tips is particularly important if construction is occurring near your property, as ground disturbance has the potential to disturb the water service line and temporarily increase lead levels in your tap water if you have a lead water service line.