Here is how to tell if you have lead pipes in NYC: scratch the service line where it enters your cellar, and if it shows shiny silver and a magnet won't stick, it is probably lead. Check any building from before 1961, when lead service lines were still legal, then confirm the result on DEP's service line map.
NYC Repipe & Repair publishes these figures with named sources so every number can be checked before you call anyone, including us.
Lead in New York City tap water doesn’t come from the reservoirs. It comes from the service line between the street main and your building, and sometimes from old solder inside the walls. You can usually narrow it down yourself with a key, a magnet and an address search, before anyone opens a wall or a sidewalk.
Start with the build date: the 1961 rule
Lead service lines were legal in New York City until 1961, and patch repairs to existing lead lines were allowed until 2009 (NYC DEP lead service line plan). So a line that was “fixed” rather than replaced can still be lead today. DEP’s inventory counts about 121,000 lines that are lead or galvanized requiring replacement, plus about 118,000 whose material is unknown.
DEP’s plan also notes that lead service lines are typically 2 inches or smaller, which puts them in buildings with fewer than six units, mostly one- to four-family houses. That describes much of the city. City property records (MapPLUTO) show 74% of Brooklyn’s one- to four-family lots were built before 1940, and Queens has a median build year of 1935. Brownstones in Park Slope and Bed-Stuy are the classic case.
Inside the house, the date to know is 1987, when lead solder was banned in plumbing (DEP household plumbing FAQ). Copper soldered before then can add some lead even when the service line is clean. Anything installed now must be lead-free to NSF/ANSI 372 (PC 605.2).
Look up your address on DEP’s service line map
DEP publishes the NYC Service Line Map so owners can check what the city’s records say about their line (NYC DEP lead service line program). Treat it as the first check, not the last. With roughly 118,000 lines of unknown material, a blank or “possible lead” result is a gap in the records, not an all-clear. If you confirm the material yourself, DEP’s Monitoring for Lead page explains how to submit it so the record gets corrected.
Scratch and magnet test at the meter
Find where the water pipe comes through the cellar or basement wall, usually beside the meter. Gently scratch the pipe between the wall and the first valve with a key or a coin. Don’t use a knife or file, and don’t dig in. Then hold a magnet to the same spot. EPA’s guide for identifying service lines reads the results like this (EPA service line guide):
| What the scratch shows | Magnet | Likely material | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shiny silver | Doesn’t stick | Lead | Plan a replacement; check the free program first |
| Silver or gray, hard to scratch | Sticks | Galvanized steel | Rust and pressure problems; may count as “galvanized requiring replacement” |
| Penny-colored, may have a green or brown film | Doesn’t stick | Copper | Not lead; check the solder date |
| White or gray plastic | Doesn’t apply | Plastic | Not lead; other plumbing can still contain it |
Galvanized deserves a second look. EPA notes that galvanized pipe that is, or ever was, connected downstream of a lead line can collect lead on its inner wall and release it later. That’s why DEP counts those lines with lead. If your interior pipe is galvanized too, galvanized pipe replacement usually belongs in the same plan.
The test only shows the few inches of pipe inside your wall. The section under the sidewalk can be a different material, so a copper reading at the meter doesn’t guarantee copper to the main.
Test the water with a free 311 kit
Call 311 or use DEP’s online form to order a free lead-in-drinking-water test kit. DEP provides one kit per household, and results are mailed within 30 days after the lab receives your samples (DEP test kit page).
A test tells you what’s reaching the tap, not what the pipe is made of. Citywide, DEP’s annual water quality report puts the lead 90th percentile at 10 µg/L, with 16 of 335 sampled homes over the action level (DEP’s annual water quality report). One Brooklyn parent’s sample came back at 2 to 3 parts per billion from a house whose service line was lead (r/nycparents). A low number is reassuring, but the line still needs replacing.
What to do if the line is lead
- Check the free program. DEP replaces lead and galvanized service lines at no cost, but only for owners who receive a DEP letter or are contacted by DDC during main work. It started in the Bronx, with Flushing and Borough Park next. See free lead pipe replacement in NYC.
- Price a private replacement. DEP puts a private job at $5,000 to $10,000. The lead service line cost guide breaks down what changes the price.
- Plan the job. The new line is copper, and it needs DEP and DOT permits for the sidewalk opening (PC 106.6). Lead service line replacement and water line replacement explain the method.
- Look past the meter. If the house still has galvanized branches, a whole house repipe done at the same time saves a second round of work. Old houses sometimes use the metal water pipe as the electrical ground, so an electrician should check the bonding when it’s removed.
Buying rather than owning? Buying a house with galvanized pipes covers what to check before you sign. If the water is also brown, read brown tap water. The repipe assessment shows how much of the system is due.
Bottom line
If your building went up before 1961 and nobody has replaced the line, assume it’s lead until a scratch test, the DEP map or a plumber shows otherwise. Order the free 311 kit, flush before drinking, and get the line confirmed. Call (929) 659-6658 for a free on-site estimate and a written, itemized price for the replacement.