Is Your Water Line Lead? A Five-Minute Basement Check
Updated 2026-10 · Milwaukee, WI
Find the pipe that matters
Go to the basement wall that faces the street and find the water meter. The pipe coming through the wall into the meter is your service line, the one that runs under the yard to the curb stop. That is the pipe this check is about. The pipes leaving the meter are your house plumbing.
The two tests
Scratch
Use a key or a coin and gently scratch the pipe between the wall and the meter. Do not use a knife or a file, and do not dig in. Lead is soft: a light scratch shows a bright, shiny silver. Galvanised steel stays dull grey. Copper shows a penny colour.
Magnet
A fridge magnet will not stick to lead or copper. It sticks firmly to galvanised steel. A pipe that scratches shiny silver and does not hold a magnet is very likely lead.
Other signs
- Lead is often dull grey and slightly wider than you would expect, with a rounded bulge where it joins the meter or valve.
- A service that has been replaced usually looks new: copper or plastic, sometimes with a fresh patch in the wall around it.
- Older homes, roughly pre-1950s in Milwaukee, are the likeliest to have lead.
What the result means
Lead: look your address up on Milwaukee Water Works’ lead service line map and read the lead line guide before anyone quotes you. Galvanised: the service itself is not lead, but older galvanised pipe can hold lead it picked up from an earlier lead connection, and it corrodes. Copper or plastic: usually a newer or replaced service, but check the pipe after the meter too, because interior plumbing in an old house can still be galvanised or have old solder. If you are unsure, take a clear photo of the pipe where it comes through the wall and of the meter. A plumber or Milwaukee Water Works can usually tell a great deal from that.
Done the check and not sure what you found? Call and describe it; you can send the photo after.
While a lead line is still in service
The Milwaukee Health Department and Milwaukee Water Works recommend running the cold tap for about three minutes after water has been sitting, and using a filter certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead, especially for pregnant people and children under six. Use cold water for drinking and cooking.
Where to go next
Common questions
Can a scratch damage a lead pipe?
A light scratch with a key does not. Do not cut, file or dig into it, and wash your hands afterwards.
My pipe is painted. Can I still check?
Scratch through the paint in a small spot near the meter. If you cannot get to bare metal, the magnet test still works.
Does it matter which side of the meter I check?
Yes. The service line is the pipe coming in from the street side of the meter. That is the one the city programme concerns.