Service lines and faucets

Your water service line and faucets can be sources of lead.

Lead service lines

  • A service line is the water pipe that connects the water main on your street to the piping inside of your home.
  • It connects to the stop box on the exterior of your home. We use the stop box to turn your water on or off without entering your home.
  • In Minneapolis, the property owner owns the entire service line from the water main on your street to the home, including the stop box.
  • In Minneapolis, service lines installed before 1930 usually used lead piping.
    • The part that extends from the water main to the stop box is lead.
    • The part that connects the stop box to the water meter is usually galvanized steel.
  • Minneapolis water forms a thin scale inside the service lines.
    • The thin scale prevents lead from seeping into your water.

You're responsible for your service line

  • Property owners are responsible for maintaining water service lines.
  • You cannot repair lead service lines. You can only replace them.  
  • To find out if your service line is lead, contact Water Distribution.

View an interactive lead service line map

Corrosion

We take many steps to prevent pipe corrosion.

We follow of Department of Health guidelines, including:

  • Adding a chemical called ortho polyphosphate to your water.
    • This chemical prevents water line corrosion. 
    • We maintain an ortho phosphate concentration of 0.4 parts per million.
  • Reducing the acidity of the water from the Mississippi River.
    • We maintain a pH of 8.8 to 9.0 to keep the water from being corrosive.

Read the Minnesota Department of Health's 2019 report on eliminating lead in drinking water

Lead faucets

  • Most faucets purchased before 1997 were brass or chrome-plated brass. They contain up to 8% lead.
  • Faucets purchased after 1997 have less or no lead.
  • If a faucet has NSF 61/9 stamped on its box, the faucet is lead-free. 

Read NSF/ANSI/CAN 61, Section 9: Mechanical Plumbing Devices

Contact us

Public Works Water Treatment & Distribution Services

Phone

For water emergencies

612-673-5600

For water quality information

612-661-4999

Address

4300 Marshall St. NE
Fridley, MN 55421

This building is closed to the public.