The Mohawk Valley Water Authority is working to identify lead service lines in pre-1945 homes to help protect the health of our customers.

Testing the pipes in your home to determine if they are lead is simple and requires only two common items: a flathead screwdriver and a magnet.

1. Start by locating the water service line in your home. It is attached to your water meter and typically found in the basement or crawl space. You should test the pipe that is between where the water line enters the basement wall and the water meter. Do not test the portion of the pipe on the other side of the meter, located away from the wall. If your pipes are made of rigid plastic, you do not need to test them.
2. If your pipes are made of strong, good quality metal, using your screwdriver, scrape an exposed section of the pipe. (The pipe may be covered or wrapped; if so, peel away a small piece.)
   If scraping the pipe reveals:
   1. A shiny "new penny" color, your pipe is copper.
   2. A silver/white color, place a magnet on the pipe. If it sticks,your pipe is galvanized steel.
   3. A silver/white color and the magnet does not stick, your pipe is lead.
3. Take a photo of the pipe and send it to MVWA. The photo must:
   1. Show the pipe between the basement wall and the water meter
   2. Clearly show the tested area and pipe material
   3. Not be blurry or pixelated
   4. Be submitted in jpg format
4. If your pipe appears to be lead, the MVWA will take a water sample at your home and test it for free in our certified laboratory upon request.
5. Upload your photo using the form on the previous page. Be sure to include your account number and address where the photo was taken.