Yes! All of our customers receive water that is clean, high quality and safe to drink. For years, Greensboro’s water has met or surpassed all federal water quality standards. This includes testing for lead to ensure our water is safe to drink. The City's water distribution system remains in full compliance with EPA’s current regulations. 

Public health, economic development, and quality of life in our city are contingent on reliable and safe water. Approximately 482,749 tests and measurements are conducted throughout the system each year to ensure high quality tap water. Our water is tested for more than 100 substances and is monitored throughout the year to ensure it meets the rigorous standards set forth by the EPA and the Public Water Supply Section of the NC Department of Environmental Quality.

Learn more about the City's water system and Drinking Water Quality - Consumer Confidence Report.

To get your City drinking water tested, call 336-373-7527 or email.

Water is lead-free when it leaves the City's treatment plants and moves through the water mains of our distribution system. Pipes that are part of the City's distribution system are not sources of lead in water. However, if the pipes that make up the customer side of the water service line (see diagram) are made of lead, there may be lead in the water.  Other sources of lead include galvanized iron pipes downstream of lead piping components, lead solder, and brass faucets or fixtures.

Lead pipes may be found in older homes and buildings. Lead was commonly used for water service lines until the 1950s. It was also used in household plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, sinks, shower heads, hose bibs, etc.) and solder into the late 1980s, when lead solder was banned. From 1986 to 2014, plumbing fixtures could contain up to 8 percent lead to be categorized as “lead-free." However, current standards for “lead-free” fixtures allow no more than .25 percent of lead content.

Lead was used for many years in paint, plumbing, and other products found in and around homes. The EPA has determined that lead can cause health problems if it accumulates in a person’s body over time. Lead can affect almost every organ and system in your body. Young children and infants are particularly vulnerable to lead. A dose of lead that would have little effect on an adult can have a significant effect on a child.

Yes, and it's free! Please call the City's Water Supply Laboratory at 336-373-7527 or email.

The simplest way to reduce lead is to flush your pipes before using any tap water for drinking or cooking. Run the water until the temperature stops changing, then allow it to run for an additional two minutes before using or consuming. Use only cold water for drinking, cooking, making infant formula, beverages, and ice. 

Filter pitchers can also be used. When selecting a pitcher filter, be sure to select one that has a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) certification that certifies removal of lead.

See additional steps to reduce your risk of lead exposure in FAQ #8 and learn more from these EPA resources:
~ Lower Your Chances of Exposure to Lead  
~ Sources of LEAD in Drinking Water

Service lines carry water to your home or business from Greensboro’s water main. The service connection in its entirety, from the meter to the building, is considered private since its sole purpose is to transport drinkable water to a single dwelling, business or building. Often, the portion of the pipe within the right-of-way or easement is maintained by Greensboro. See the diagram for an example of a standard water service line.

Take our Lead & Copper Program Survey. It has easy-to-follow instructions for how to identify the type of material your service line is made of. You will be able to report your findings and follow the steps provided if you discover lead or potential lead. 

You can visually inspect the water service line pipe entering your home. Lead service lines are generally a dull gray color, very soft and can easily be scratched with a house key or coin. When scratched, a lead pipe will turn a bright silver color. Do not use a knife or sharp instrument to scratch the pipe and be careful not to puncture a hole in the pipe.

Galvanized steel pipe may also be lead-lined or have a zinc coating with high lead content. Galvanized steel pipe is magnetic and a gray metal color. When tapped with a screwdriver, it makes a metallic sound.

Even if your service line is not lead, you might have a lead gooseneck (small portion of flexible piping) in the street if your pipe is galvanized steel. To purchase an EPA-approved lead test kit, visit this EPA Web page.

If you have a lead service line, be sure to take our Lead & Copper Program Survey to ensure we have your information in our records. Check back later to learn more about the Lead Service Line Replacement Program.

Ways to Reduce Your Exposure to Lead

• Always buy plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, sinks, shower heads, hose bibs, etc.) that have zero-lead, lead-free, or low-lead content. Read the labels of any new plumbing fixtures closely.

• Always use fresh, cold running water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula. Run the water until the temperature no longer changes and then allow it to run for an additional two minutes before using or consuming.

• Remember that boiling water does not remove lead. It can actually increase lead concentration in water.

• Regularly remove and clean faucet screens and aerators.

• Obtain an NSF-certified water filter device that is certified to remove lead.

• Identify and replace plumbing fixtures containing lead and any copper piping with lead solder installed before 1986.

• Water service lines are sometimes used to ground electrical lines. The wiring in your home or building may be attached to your water service line or elsewhere in your plumbing. If you have a lead service line, this can accelerate its corrosion. Have a licensed electrician check to ensure your electrical wiring is not grounded to the plumbing in your home or business.

• Be careful of dust from lead-based paint. Even though lead-based paint was outlawed in 1978, many older homes have not removed it and it may currently pose a hazard. The most common source of lead exposure in homes is from the dust of lead-based paint. Read about the City's Lead-Safe Program.

• Be careful of other sources of lead in your home. Some household items such as pottery, makeup, toys, and jewelry may contain lead. Wash your children’s hands and toys often.

Most likely, but possibly not. If you live in a home that was built prior to 1986, it is possible that lead solder was used at the joints of your water service line piping. If you suspect you have lead solder based on the age of your home and the water has not been used for more than six hours, run the water until it the temperature no longer changes and then allow it to run for an additional two minutes before using or consuming.

See FAQ 8 for additional ways to minimize lead exposure.

Our Lead & Copper Compliance Program is designed to identify lead service lines from Greensboro water mains to your shut-off valve, but it does not cover any lead pipe material within your home or business. A licensed plumber can help evaluate whether or not you have lead material in your indoor plumbing or you can purchase an EPA-approved lead swab kit.

Removing and replacing your service line can temporarily affect your water quality, including increasing lead levels for a short time because the pipes have been disturbed. 
 
After an initial flush of the replaced service line is completed by the contractor, remove the faucet aerators from all cold water taps in the home and fully open the water taps throughout the home for 30 minutes, starting at the lowest level. Be sure to include bathtubs and showers. When the last cold water tap on the highest level has flushed for 30 minutes, turn off each tap starting from the lowest level of the home. 
 
Always use, cold, running water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula. Regularly change or clean out all faucet screens and aerators. 

Call the City's Water Supply Laboratory at 336-373-7527 or email to find out how to get your water tested for lead after replacement of your lead service line.

A high dose of lead poisoning may result in severe abdominal pain and cramping, vomiting, muscle weakness, stumbling when walking, seizures, coma, and brain disease. More information is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Young children and infants are especially at risk for lead poisoning because the physical and behavioral effects of lead occur at lower exposure levels in children than in adults. A dose of lead that would have little effect on an adult can have a significant effect on a child.

In children, exposure to lead in drinking water may cause behavior and learning problems, slowed growth, and impaired formation and function of blood cells. Long-term lead exposure can lead to intellectual disability and loss of developmental skills.

More information is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Property owners are responsible for replacing their internal plumbing, faucets and fixtures. Certified lead-free pipes, faucets and fixtures purchased in 2014 or after do not carry any risk of lead.

If you believe you have a lead service line, you should have your water tested and use a water filter certified to remove lead until the line is replaced.