Water Study FAQ
Lead Service Connections - Questions & Answers
What is a lead service connection?
A service connection is the pipe that carries water from the water main in the street to a residence or business. The city owns the portion of the service connection from the main to the property line.
The homeowner is responsible for the portion of the service connection on their property as well as the plumbing in their home.
In Regina, there are approximately 5000 lead service connections and they are usually found in older homes built before 1949. Lead service connections are generally greyish-black and easily dented when scraped with a knife. If there is a concern, a licensed plumber can be contacted to determine if your home has a lead service connection, and whether the home contains lead solder or brass fittings.
Is the City of Regina’s water safe?
The City of Regina’s water quality is safe and meets all provincial water quality standards.
How does lead get into water?
Typically, lead in treated drinking water comes from contact with service connections containing lead or lead in the household plumbing systems such as lead solder or plumbing fixtures. Lead is naturally present in the environment and can also be found in soil, food, and consumer products.
What is the maximum allowable level of lead in drinking water?
A very conservative limit has been set by Health Canada at 0.010 mg/L of lead in drinking water. This limit is based on long-term chronic effects, so short-term consumption of water above this limit does not necessarily pose undue risk to health. Excess quantities of lead may impact human health, especially in small children and pregnant women.
For more information about Health Canada’s proposed drinking water guidelines, visit www.hc-sc.gc.ca
Does my water have lead in it?
The City of Regina’s drinking water comes from the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant and is virtually lead free. The lead level content in Regina drinking water when it enters the distribution system is less than 0.002 mg/L, or five times lower than the Health Canada limit. The only effective way to measure lead levels in a home is testing at the tap. The city has initiated a comprehensive testing program to measure lead levels in drinking water in residences both with and without lead service connections.
For an evaluation of lead levels inside homes, residents can arrange for testing by a private, accredited, licensed laboratory. Look under “Laboratory Testing” in the Yellow Pages or mysask.com. Fees will vary.
Why is the city testing lead levels?
Health Canada recently proposed drinking water guidelines for all municipalities. The City of Regina is following these guidelines and also collecting valuable data to help plan for our future water and sewer system needs. The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment also plans to require lead testing to be done by all municipalities.
What can I do if I am concerned about lead levels in my water?
- As a precautionary measure, residents can flush the water system by running the cold water faucet for approximately 5 minutes if the drinking water has been sitting in the lines for six hours or more. Flushing toilets, doing laundry, running showers and other water consumption activities, will flush standing waters in the connections, but you should then run the drinking water tap for one minute to flush its line with fresh water entering the house.
- Use the cold water tap for drinking and cooking.
- Clean your tap by unscrewing the faucet outlet screen and flushing the debris from the screen and other internal parts.
- While the health risks are considered very low, if you wish to take further precautionary measures you could consider using an NSF certified filter attached to the tap or a certified filter water pitcher to remove lead. Boiling water does not remove lead.
- For any health concerns, call public health services, Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region at 766-5100.
What is the City doing about lead service connections?
- The City has initiated a comprehensive testing program to measure lead levels in drinking water in residences both with and without lead service connections.
- The City’s policy for replacement of lead service connections is that the homeowner is responsible for replacement of the lead service line on the private side. From the water main to the property line, the City’s policy is:
- Where a residence with a lead service connection is being rebuilt or the sewer service replaced, the homeowner is responsible for replacing the lead service line. There is a City of Regina rebate program in place where some homeowners may be reimbursed for a portion of the cost of replacement from the property line to the main in reduced assessment areas.
- Where a water main with lead service lines is being replaced, the lead lines are also replaced by the City.
Will I receive the results of my lead tests?
Participants who wish to know the results of the tests will be given the results for their household only. The overall information gained from the study will be made public through a report to Council in September and will be available on the City of Regina website.