Lead Service Line Inventory

To help determine the material of your service line, EPA developed an online step-by-step guide to help people identify lead pipes in their homes: Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead.

You will be notified if lead service lines are identified. Under the revised rule, lead service lines will need to be replaced. 

For information about lead in drinking water, visit the Washington State Department of Health’s website.

The service line inventory will be submitted to the Washington State Department of Health. The EPA’s rule also requires that the inventory information be made available to customers. Customers will be notified if they have a service line containing lead or galvanized steel requiring replacement, or if their service line status is unknown.

Customers with unknown service line status were sent Notice of Unknown Service Line Material (PDF) in January 2025.

Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or worsen existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these negative health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, and kidney, or nervous system problems.

Below are recommended actions that you may take, separately or in combination, if you are concerned about lead in your drinking water. The list also includes where you may find more information. It is not intended to be a complete list. It does not imply that all actions equally reduce lead in drinking water.

Use your filter properly. Using a filter can reduce lead in drinking water. If you use a filter, it should be certified to remove lead. Read any directions provided with the filter to learn how to properly install, maintain, and use your cartridge and when to replace it. Using the cartridge after it has expired can make it less effective at removing lead. Do not run hot water through the filter. For more information on facts and advice on home water filtration systems, visit EPA’s filters to reduce lead website.

Clean your aerator. Regularly remove and clean your faucet’s screen (also known as an aerator). Sediment, debris, and lead particles can collect in your aerator. If lead particles are caught in the aerator, lead can get into your water. 

Use cold water. Do not use hot water from the tap for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula as lead dissolves more easily into hot water. Boiling water does not remove lead from water.

Run your water. The more time water has been sitting in pipes providing water to your home, the more lead it may contain. Before drinking, flush your home’s pipes by running the tap, taking a shower, doing laundry, or doing a load of dishes. The amount of time to run the water will depend on whether your home has a lead service line or not, as well as the length and diameter of the service line and the amount of plumbing in your home. 

Have your water tested. You may contact a certified laboratory to have your water tested for lead at your expense.  An Ecology Certified Laboratory in Clark County is available below: 

BSK Associates
2517 E Evergreen Blvd
Vancouver, WA 98661
(360) 750-0055 (Main)

Other labs are available on the Department of Ecology’s website: Testing drinking water - Washington State Department of Ecology

Note, a water sample may not adequately capture or represent all sources of lead that may be present. Visit EPA’s basic information webpage for information on sources of lead that include service lines and interior plumbing. 

A family doctor or pediatrician can perform a blood test for lead and provide information about the health effects of lead. State, city, or county departments of health can also provide information about how you can have your child's blood tested for lead. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends public health actions when the level of lead in a child’s blood is 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) or more. Visit EPA’s Basic Information website for more information and links to CDC’s website. 

For more information on reducing lead exposure from your drinking water and the health effects of lead, visit EPA’s Lead website.

Lead usually enters drinking water through plumbing components rather than from the source of the water (wells, springs, lakes, etc.).