Water service lines are small pipes that carry water from Fulton County’s water mains, located in the streets, into homes and other buildings. The County owns the water service line from the main in the street to the water meter. The property owner owns the water service line from the water meter to where it enters the building and connects with the building's internal plumbing

Water service lines can be lead, galvanized steel, plastic, brass, copper, cast iron, or ductile iron. Water systems commonly used lead for water service lines until 1960. Household plumbing, fixtures, and solder may have used lead until 1990. From 1990 to 2014, "lead free" plumbing fixtures could have up to 8% lead. Current standards for "lead free" fixtures allow no more than 0.25% lead content. The County’s current standard is to install Type K “1 inch” copper for all public service lines, but we do not provide any specifications for private service lines. Some homes and buildings, especially those built before 1990, may have water service lines and/or plumbing and fixtures that have lead. 

Other sources of lead can include plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, fittings, etc.), indoor copper plumbing pipes with lead solder, and lead paint. Lead paint in a home is typically the greatest risk for lead exposure for young children.

Some homes and buildings, especially those built before 1990, may have water service lines and/or internal plumbing and fixtures that have lead. A licensed plumber can help figure out if you have lead material in your indoor plumbing. You can also use a EPA approved lead test kit.

The County is taking multiple actions to reduce the potential exposure to lead through drinking water including:

• ‍Treating drinking water according to federal and state standards to remove harmful contaminants and help prevent lead from dissolving into the water. The Atlanta-Fulton County Water Treatment Plant uses corrosion control treatment techniques to prevent the leaching of lead into the water from any plumbing components that may contain lead

• Regularly testing drinking water for lead. Fulton County Public Works tests samples of water from points throughout our distribution system for a variety of water quality parameters, including lead.

• Creating a water service line material inventory to document water service line material. You can check the material of your service line with some simple tests. If you are able to determine the material of your service line, please use our Water Service Line Self-Reporting Form to update us.

Lead can get into drinking water from the plumbing inside your building or the water service line between the street and your house. When water sits in the water service line or your building's plumbing without use for many hours, such as overnight, the lead may dissolve into the water. 

When water leaves Fulton County’s water treatment plant, it does not have lead. The County’s water mains in the street that take water from the treatment plants are made mostly of copper. The mains do not add lead to drinking water. So, the best way to stop lead from getting into your drinking water is replacing the water service line, if it is made of lead and older plumbing and fixtures in your home.

Galvanized water service lines were a common material used for plumbing in many older homes. These water service lines are dipped in a protective zinc coating to prevent corrosion and rust. The protective coating on the galvanized pipe can react with lead particles in water which could cause them to settle in the pipe. Any residual particles could dissolve back into the water in the future and be carried downstream into the home or building.

The Lead and Copper Rule Revisions require the Fulton County to inventory all galvanized water service lines and identify those which may have been impacted by lead upstream at any time in the history of the water service line installation. The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements proposes to require all of these types of galvanized water service lines, called galvanized requiring replacement (GRR), to be removed. By researching historic records, Fulton County was able to prove that any galvanized water service lines in the County’s distribution system were never downstream of lead pipes. This means that under federal law, they are not considered lead and do not need to be replaced. 

To find your water service line, locate the water meter outside. In Fulton County, this is near the property line. Then find where the pipe enters your house. This is usually in your basement or crawlspace, on the wall closest to the street. The portion of the pipe as it enters your house, before the shutoff valve, is the water service line.

You can add a faucet filter or pitcher filter for your drinking and cooking water that is National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) 42- and 53-certified to remove lead. A licensed plumber can replace pipes that have lead solder or lead parts with lead-free pipes or fixtures. Visit the National Sanitation Foundation website to learn more about water filters. Visit the health effects of lead page for more ways to reduce your exposure.

According to the EPA, there is no safe level of lead that can be consumed or ingested. Exposure to high levels of lead is a serious health risk. Lead builds up in the body over many years and can cause damage to the brain, red blood cells, and kidneys. The greatest risk is to young children, pregnant women, and unborn babies. Amounts of lead that may not seriously harm adults can slow down children's normal mental and physical development, particularly those under 6 years old. Visit the CDC's website for more information on lead poisoning prevention.

You can take many steps to decrease your lead exposure in drinking water, including:

• Using fresh, cold, running water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula.

• Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water does not remove lead and can instead increase the concentration of lead in water.

• Removing and cleaning faucet screens and aerators every 3 months.

• Buying a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF)-Certified home water treatment device, faucet, or pitcher filter that removes lead. The device must be both NSF 42- and NSF 53-certified to remove lead. A faucet mounted filter or pitcher filter is recommended, over a whole house filtration system because the water could pick up lead from sources inside the home after the filtration system. The faucet mounted filter and pitcher filters remove lead immediately before the water is consumed. Visit this website to learn more about water filters.

• Buying plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, sinks, hose bibs, etc.) that have zero- or low-lead content meeting the current "lead-free" requirements. Read the labels of any new plumbing fixtures closely.

• Before drinking water or making baby formula, run the tap, take a shower, do laundry, or do a load of dishes to flush the pipes. Showering and flushing the toilet will help clear out your water service line if water has gone unused for more than 6 hours. This flushes the standing water and brings fresh water from the water main line. You can also run the tap for a short period of time, depending on the size of the property and the length of the water service line.

Yes. Human skin does not absorb lead in water. Bathing and showering are safe.