Efforts are underway to replace lead pipes in the US over the next decade. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities is urging homeowners and commercial customers to “help get the lead out” by first identifying service lines.
Utilities staff can’t enter your private property to take care of the task themselves, so self-reporting the kind of water lines you have is essential to finding potentially dangerous pipes.
What you’ll need
- Your smartphone or tablet
- A flashlight
- A magnet
- A key or coin
The customer service line inventory will walk you through the process, which starts with locating your shutoff valve. Snapping a photo and uploading it is an important part of the process. If you find potential lead pipes, it will also walk you through next steps. It should take less than 15 minutes.
If the service line material at an address is not entered in the local database, it will be listed as “unknown” and considered as lead. Additional efforts later on will cost the city time and money.
