Checking and Reporting your Water Service Line Material
Fulton County is working to create a comprehensive inventory of water service line materials within our water service area, as required by the U.S. EPA. The inventory was initially published in October 2024. We are in the process of reducing the number of unknown service lines in our system and expect to make significant progress in the next year. You can help us speed up the process by identifying your service line material with a few simple steps. Use the tools and guidance below to find out the material of your service line.
Fulton County needs your help! Follow five easy steps to check and report your water service line material.
1) View the inventory map below to see if the County has information on your water service line. If the County does NOT have information, proceed to step 2, below.
Checking and Reporting Your Water Service Line Material
Can’t find your address? Please be sure you have entered it correctly in the search tool. If your address is not represented on the map or no instructions are provided, then our records indicate this address is not associated with a Fulton County Public Works account. Please contact us if you have any questions.
2) Gather your tools. You will need one of these three items:
AND
3) Find your water service line. The water service line will come through the wall or floor of your basement, crawl space, or lowest floor of your building or house. A small portion of the water service line is visible right where it comes into the building before it connects to the internal plumbing. The service line can be found following these tips:
Determine the side of the house or building closest to the water meter. The water meter is located underground outside your home or building inside a box. If you trace an invisible line from your meter box to your home, it will lead you to where your service line enters the building. The meter box has a cover that looks like one of these examples:
The water service line is the portion of the pipe upstream of the pressure reducing valve, shown circled in the image to the right. The upstream side is between the pressure-reducing valve and the wall or floor and has no pipes branching off. The upstream side can also be found by finding the arrow embossed on the pressure reducing valve and looking to the flat side of the arrow. Be sure you test the pipe and not the coupling on the other side of the arrow
4) Check your water service line material. You will need to complete three actions:
Scratch the pipe with the key or coin to reveal its color.
Hold the magnet to the pipe and see if it sticks.
Take one or more well-lit photos capturing the results of the test
5) Report your water service line material using the map.
Click the blue “Report Your Service Line” button on the left-hand side of the map, above. Once you click this button you will be asked to register for an account. Enter your name, contact information, property address, and Fulton County Water account number. Once registered, you will get an email with a link to log into your leadCAST account where the material can be reported.
Note: if you are viewing the map on your phone, scroll to the bottom of the map and double click the “More Info” tab to show this button.
Please make sure your photos are clear and show the portion of the water service line where the test was completed.
A water professional will check the photos and confirm the water service line material. Once it is confirmed, the material will update on the inventory map.
Note: Pipes may be dirty, oxidized, or painted. The scratch needs to show the “raw” material of the pipe. The scratch needs to be on the section of the pipe closest to the wall or floor penetration.
COMPARE THE SCRATCHED AREA TO THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTIONS:
Lead
Gray or silver. You MAY have a lead service line. Lead service lines need to be replaced. Please submit your photos using the Self-Reporting Form so a water professional can confirm.
Galvanized Steel
Gray or silver and magnetic. You MAY have a galvanized steel service line. Galvanized service lines need to be replaced under some circumstances. Please submit your photos using the Self-Reporting Form so a water professional can confirm.
Copper
Dull brown or greenish. You DO NOT have a lead service line.
No replacement is required.
Plastic Pipe (PVC or PEX)
Plastic pipes will be smooth and are usually red, blue, white, or black. You DO NOT have a lead service line.
No replacement is required.
Complete a Temporary Right of Entry
If you are unable to check your water service line material yourself, you can sign a temporary right of entry (ROE) form for an opportunity to have Fulton County’s contractor check it.
To sign an ROE, please complete the following steps:
Step 1) Determine if you are able to sign the ROE. Only property owners can sign the ROE. If you are a tenant, please let your landlord know about this program. If you are the property owner, continue to step 2.
Step 2) Click “Report Your Service Line” material box. Even if you do not want to check your own material, click this button to access the next step. Clicking this button will open a new window. Continue to step 3.
Note: if you are viewing the map on your phone, scroll to the bottom of the map and double click the “More Info” tab to show this button.
Step 3) Click “Register Here” in the green box. Enter your name, contact information, property address, and Fulton County Water account number.
Step 4) Submit your information. You will then receive an email with a link to log into your leadCAST account. Click this link and enter your email and password you created in step 2.
Step 5) Log in using your information. Once you log in, you will see options to report your own service line material or to complete a Right of Entry form. To complete the ROE form, fill out your information, and then submit. For instructions on how to check and report your own service line material, see above.
A Fulton County contractor will reach out to you directly if your address is selected for water service line material inspection. Please note that the contractor is only conducting material inspections at some properties, so signing this form does not guarantee an inspection.