Lead, galvanized and other old lines

Tacoma Water says its utility-side service lines are non-lead, but the pipe past the meter is the owner's, and the Department of Health says only testing shows the lead level in your water.

Revised November 4, 2026

What an inventory does and doesn't tell you

An inventory records service line material, and it stops short of saying what comes out of your tap. The Department of Health says lead usually comes from distribution lines or household plumbing, not from lakes, wells or streams, and that testing is the only way to know the level in household water.

That leaves two questions. One is the utility's stretch. The other is yours. In Tacoma, the utility owns the pipe from main to meter, and the pipe from meter to home belongs to the property owner. Don't carry that split elsewhere; ask your supplier where its stretch ends.

Tacoma's record, with its dates

Tacoma Water has the fullest published record in this atlas. It says it confirmed in 2024 that utility-side lines in its distribution system are non-lead. The goosenecks it removed were used between 1900 and 1940 to link mains to service lines.

The 2025 report table shows lead and copper sampled that year with 0 of 51 sites above the action level, which is 15 ppb for lead. The text says lead was detected in a few homes, all below 15 ppb, and that sampling comes round again in 2028.

The utility treats homes built before 1986 with copper plumbing and lead solder, or any lead piping, as highest risk. That is about the house's plumbing, so a clean system result doesn't clear it.

What to do in the meantime

Use cold water and get a test. The Department of Health says to use only cold water for drinking, cooking and baby formula, and it puts the action level at 0.015 ppm. Tacoma Water customers can request the free kit. Elsewhere, ask your supplier, or ask a certified lab. On a private well, your own testing schedule is the place to add lead.

Galvanized pipe

Tacoma Water describes old galvanized plumbing as a source of rust and grit in faucets and aerators. That does not clear it for lead, so test your water as well as checking an aerator, and see iron and hard water if staining continues.

If a licensed plumber specifies copper for a replacement line, you can compare sizes and types of copper pipe. PlumbingSupplyAndMore and this atlas are run by the same team.

Clay, concrete and cast iron drains

The drain side has its own age problem, and Tacoma's flyer is the plain source for it. Tacoma says most homes there were built before 1950 and few have replaced side sewers, and clay and concrete pipe was used extensively through the 1970s. Those lines can crack, shift and take root intrusion. It recommends investigating lines over 25 years old or without PVC all the way to the main.

That advice is written for Tacoma homes. Read who answers for a side sewer before ordering work, because the split decides who pays. We found no official South Sound guidance on cast iron drain lines, so ask a licensed plumber. The North Tacoma sheet has the local numbers.

Do not cut, file or scrape a pipe to find out what it is made of. Use the utility's inventory, or ask the utility or a licensed plumber. If unsure, call a licensed plumber, and call 811 before digging toward a service line.