Lead Service Pipe Replacement Program 

EPCOR Water Services recently conducted a tap water sampling program to assess the quality of water at the tap for those Edmonton homes with lead service pipes. The service pipe connects the water main in the street or alley to the plumbing in your home. Please click the house diagram at right.

Fewer than 3% of homes in Edmonton have lead service pipe and most of these were built before 1950. EPCOR sent out letters at the end of March, 2008 to those homes that our records indicate have lead service pipes.

EPCOR has implemented a plan to improve water quality in the affected older homes. EPCOR collects tap water samples by neighbourhood between May and October.    

Note: only those customers who received a letter identifying their homes as having lead service pipes were contacted for this free tap water testing program.
 

 
Our study showed the majority of homes with lead service pipe can maintain good water quality at the tap by flushing their water pipes regularly. This can be done by flushing toilets, running the dishwasher or letting the taps run for a couple of minutes before drinking. In a few homes, additional steps must be taken to bring lead levels in the drinking water to Health Canada recommended levels.

The best long term solution to remove lead in drinking water is to replace the entire lead service pipe. That’s why we have developed a Service Pipe Replacement program to change all service lines in the city that are made of lead.

To find out more about the Service Pipe Replacement program or maintaining household water quality, please call us at 780-412-6858.  If you have questions about potential health effects of lead in the household environment, please call Health Link Alberta at 780-408-LINK (5465) or toll-free at 1-866-408-LINK or visit their website.