Lead Service Replacement Program

The water service pipe delivers water from the watermain to a building. This service pipe is jointly owned by both Durham Region and the customer (property owner). The service pipe on private property is the responsibility of the property owner as illustrated by the diagram.

Can I have my water tested for lead analysis?

Durham Region offers free drinking water testing for lead in residences and businesses receiving municipal water supply. To qualify, buildings must have been built prior to 1990. 

For more information or to schedule sample collection, you may complete the online Lead Testing Request Form or contact the Works Department, Technical Support Division by phone at 905-668-7711 extension. 3488 or by e-mail at WorksTechnical@Durham.ca. 

Once a water sample request is received, a technician will confirm that the address provided qualifies for a free sample. Once confirmed, you will be mailed a package that includes sample bottles, a chain of custody form and instructions for taking the sample.

The sample must be taken from the kitchen tap (or tap most commonly used for drinking) and will take approximately forty-five minutes. During this time, it is important to ensure there is no other water use throughout the entire building.

After the sample is collected, you may mail or deliver the sample bottles and completed chain of custody form to the York-Durham Regional Environmental Laboratory where the analysis will take place. Results will be provided to you as soon as they are available through email.

How do I volunteer for the Region’s Lead Monitoring program? 

The Works Department is currently requesting volunteers from Bowmanville in the Municipality of Clarington to allow water samples to be taken from their internal plumbing, as part of the Region’s Lead Monitoring Program.

This program was implemented throughout municipalities in Ontario to comply with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks Drinking Water System Regulations.

To participate in the program, volunteers must:

• Be in a residential, industrial, commercial or institutional facility, constructed prior to 1990 with lead water service lines, copper pipes with lead solder, or brass faucets or fittings containing lead.
• Note: By 1990, the Ontario drinking water quality standard for lead became 0.01 milligrams of lead per litre of water, thus making homes built in 1990, or later, unlikely to have lead in the pipes, service lines, solder or joints.

• Be on the municipal water supply system.

• Not have the main water tap, used for drinking and cooking purposes, exposed to treatment devices such as a water softener or filtering device.
• Be able to allow 30 to 35 minutes without using water through your plumbing system prior to taking samples.

Participants in this program will have their residence or business visited by Regional staff twice each year, at pre-arranged times, to take water samples from the tap. The current sampling period runs until October 15. The samples will be analyzed for lead, and volunteers will receive a copy of the analytical results. There will be no charge for this service.

To participate in the program, or for more information, contact LeadMonitoring@durham.ca or dial 311 (within Regional limits) or 905-668-7711 ext. 2059 (toll free at 1-800-372-1102).

Please be prepared to provide your name, contact details, address, age of building, type of plumbing and any treatment devices being used. Only a limited number of participants will be chosen to take part in this program.

How do I know if I have a lead water service?

If you have a confirmed lead service and are planning to replace the private portion of your lead service, Durham Region will replace the lead pipe on municipal property to ensure a full lead service replacement. Complete the Lead Service Replacement Application Form and send the application form along with supporting documentation, to the contact information provided on the form.

The costs associated with replacing the service pipe on private property is the property owner’s responsibility. Durham Region will only fund and replace the Region-owned water service pipe.

What does the lead service replacement program include?

Upon replacement of a lead water service, you will receive:

• Information package: The Health Department's Lead in Drinking Water fact sheet and internal plumbing flushing instructions to follow post-replacement.
• Free supply of NSF-53 approved water pitcher and filters for lead removal.
• Complimentary water sampling to be completed six-months following a lead water service replacement.

How can I reduce my exposure to lead from drinking water?

Complete lead service pipe replacement

• The best way to reduce your exposure to lead is to have both the Region-owned and customer-owned portion of the lead pipe replaced. Research has shown that replacing only a portion of the lead service may cause an increased concentration of lead in drinking water due to the disruption of the pipe upon replacement.

Use water filters that are certified for lead removal

• Use a point of use or inline filtering system that is certified by the National Sanitation Foundation for lead removal and reduction from drinking water (NSF-53).

Use an alternative source of water for cooking and drinking

• Boiling water will not remove lead, it is important to take precautions when preparing meals if you have lead in your drinking water.
• It is recommended that you use bottled water or an alternate source of drinking water for cooking and drinking.

Complete an internal flush after periods of no use

• If you have not used any water in your home for more than a few hours, you should complete an internal flush to remove any stagnant water that has contacted lead. Open all the cold water taps in your home for three to five minutes or until you feel the temperature change. This will ensure you are receiving the freshest water from the distribution system.