Lead in drinking water

Our drinking water is safe and clean

We take pride in providing safe and clean drinking water. Our extensive water testing during the water we deliver is safe for you and your family to drink.

There are no measurable levels of lead in drinking water that EPCOR supplies to the community. Lead is a naturally occurring metal. In the past it was used in many different ways, but we now know it can be a health concern. Since 1960, Health Canada has put forward many studies and reports showing the health effects of lead and has set a minimum acceptable concentration of lead in the home. We agree with Health Canada's report and are working to determine lead levels in drinking water within the community.

There are no measurable levels of lead in drinking water when it leaves our water treatment plants and/or is in the distribution systems we operate and maintain.

Sources of lead in drinking water are typically:

Internal plumbing components: containing old solder or brass plumbing fixtures or lead deposits in plumbing systems within the property.
Lead services lines: our current records do not indicate the water service lines on the utility side are made of lead in the community. However, residences built before 1960 may have water service lines made of lead on the homeowner side as it was a common material for homebuilders at the time.

A water service line provides your home with water and connects your property to the water distribution system. The water service line is divided between the utility and the property owner.

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.
This split ownership is common to most cities in North America.
EPCOR does not have records for the homeowner portions of water service lines.

Learn more about other homeowner responsibilities.

You may have lead pipes if your home was built prior to 1960 when lead was a material available for homebuilders for water service lines. Today, the preferred materials are copper and plastic.

Often, when the utility's portion of the water service line is lead, it's likely that your portion could be lead too. Our current records do not indicate the water service lines on the utility side are made of lead in the community.

To determine if your portion of the service line is made of lead, follow our three-step process below or watch our video.

How to tell if you have lead water pipes

3-step testing process

Find your emergency water shut-off valve
Once you find your emergency water shut-off valve or water meter in your home (usually in the basement), check the colour and hardness of the pipe.
Check the pipe colour
Check the colour of the pipe coming out of the ground and into the meter. 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.
Check the pipe hardness
If you think your water service line could be lead, try gently etching into the pipe (see video). Lead is relatively soft metal and scratches easily. Do not attempt this if you think the line could be plastic.

While this checklist is a good indicator of whether your pipes are lead, please note that every pipe is a little different. The only way to be sure if you have lead is to have your water tested from an accredited lab.

Water service line examples

Copper pipe emerging from basement floor before the water meter (also shown is the emergency water shut off valve).

Stub of lead pipe emerging from basement floor before the emergency water shut off valve (not shown).

Protected lead pipe emerging from basement floor before the emergency water shut off valve (water meter not pictured). Notice the compression fitting used to attach it to a copper fitting.

Lead pipe, galvanized iron pipe and a copper pipe. The lead pipe is emerging from basement floor before the emergency water shut off valve. Notice the compression fitting used to attach the lead material to a threaded galvanized iron fitting. Even if going through this checklist doesn't indicate you have a lead service line, a small chance could still exist that a section of lead piping is present underground. The only way to be sure if you have lead is to have your water tested from an accredited lab.

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 cold, any time you haven't used the water for 6 or more hours, if you will be drinking or cooking with it. This flushing time can be reduced if combined with other water use like flushing toilets, showering or running household appliances like the dishwasher or washing machine.
If you're using a water filter system, follow the manufacturer's guidelines. Properly condition new filters before their first use, and replace used filter cartridges as required.
Take note of construction in your area. Following these general water quality tips is particularly important if construction is occurring near your property, as ground disturbance has the potential to disturb the service line and temporarily increase lead levels in your tap water.

In addition to these general tips, you can take any of the following steps to maintain good water quality.

1. Install a water filter

If you purchase a water filter from a home improvement store, ensure the filter you choose is NSF-53 Certified for lead reduction.

Here are some water filtration options.

Filtered water pitcher

Cost of filter: $25 and under
Filter type: Activated Carbon (NSF-53 certified)
Lifespan: 2-3 months

Tap-mount water filtration unit

Cost of filter: $25 - $40
Filter type: Activated Carbon (NSF-53 certified)
Lifespan: 2-3 months

Fridge water-dispenser unit

Cost of filter: $55 and over
Filter type: Activated Carbon (NSF-53 certified)
Lifespan: 6-12 months

Under-the-counter water filtration unit

Cost of filter: $55 and over
Filter type: Activated Carbon (NSF-53 certified)
Lifespan: 6-12 months

2. Replace in-home plumbing fixtures

If you have plumbing fixtures, such as faucets that contain lead or leaded-brass, consider replacing them with lead-free fixtures.

3. Replace your lead service line

If you have confirmed that you have a lead service line, replacing it will reduce lead in your drinking water. It'll also help improve water quality throughout your home in comparison to point-of-use filters, which only remove lead at the tap where they have been installed.

A new Health Canada guideline for Canadian drinking water quality

In March 2019, Health Canada announced a new Guideline for drinking water quality in Canada. Two of the major changes are:

Reduction of the maximum acceptable concentration of lead in drinking water from 0.010 mg/L (milligrams per Litre) to 0.005 mg/L.
Requirement to complete testing at the tap from within a customer's home or business, instead of testing it at the property line (which was the previous requirement).

Nothing has changed overnight with the drinking water—it continues to be safe to drink. Lead in drinking water at the levels we have found is not an acute or immediate health risk but can be more of a long-term risk over time. Lead can be harmful to the health of people of all ages but particularly children under the age of six and pregnant women.

We strongly support the new guideline as it will benefit public health and aligns with our efforts to reduce lead exposure from drinking water as much as possible.

While Alberta Environment and Parks gives water utilities across the province until 2024 to address the issue of lead and meet the revised Health Canada Guideline, our plan is in action today. EPCOR has been developing a comprehensive Lead Mitigation Strategy that will enable us to proactively meet the new Health Canada Guideline for drinking water quality.

At EPCOR, we care about the health and wellbeing of our customers, and we take our commitment to providing safe, reliable drinking water very seriously. As part of our program to meet the new Guideline, we are determining lead levels at the tap by testing a randomized, representative sample of properties within the community.

Our plan was in place last year to begin sampling but for the safety of our employees and our customers, we rescheduled for 2021 and have amended the plan to adhere to COVID-19 recommendations.

Our crews will maintain a safe physical distance and wear proper PPE when interacting with customer.

From May to September 2021, we will be working with residents to collect home water samples to test for the presence of lead in drinking water.
We have identified neighbourhoods across the community based on records and estimations of the age of properties and construction activity, and selected properties at random to sample in those areas.
Customers will receive the results of their sampling, as well as recommendations based on whether their results are above or below the Guideline.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be entering homes to collect water samples so customers will be required to collect the one-litre sample from their kitchen or bathroom tap.
We will drop off the water sample bottle and pick up the sample to take in for testing.
We will draw upon our experience in this area and the work we have been doing in Edmonton to determine a course of action based on the sampling results.

Customers who are concerned about lead in their drinking water can do the following:

Follow tips for good water quality.
Have their water tested by an accredited lab.
Contact us for more information on the steps you can take.