Field guide for Burlington owners
Lead Water Service Pipes
Lead service pipes were used in some Ontario homes built before the mid-1950s. Checking yours takes a few minutes with a key or coin.
- Steps you can safely take yourself
- What it looks like in Burlington houses
- When to put the wrench down and phone us
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The short answer
If your house was built before about 1955, look at the pipe entering through the basement floor or front wall before the water meter. Lead looks dull grey, scratches easily to bright silver under a key, and ignores a magnet. If you find it, contact Halton Region about testing and replacement options, and use cold water run for a while before drinking until it is replaced.
Key point
Lead service pipes were used in some Ontario homes built before the mid-1950s.
Step by step
- Find the service entry. Usually on the street side of the basement near the main shut-off and meter.
- Look at the pipe before the meter. Copper shows a penny colour; galvanized steel is grey with threaded joints and attracts a magnet; plastic is usually black or blue.
- Scratch test. Gently scrape with a key. Lead shows bright silver and feels soft. Do not cut into it.
- Magnet test. Steel grabs a fridge magnet; lead and copper ignore it.
- Note joints. Lead services often have a bulbous wiped joint where they meet copper.
- Arrange testing. Halton Region has offered lead testing for residents; check their current program.
- Reduce exposure meanwhile. Run cold water until it feels noticeably colder before drinking, use only cold water for cooking, and consider a filter certified for lead reduction.
Interior plumbing matters too
Even with a copper service, older homes may have lead-based solder at copper joints installed before it was restricted in the late 1980s, or brass fixtures that contain some lead. Running water briefly after it has sat overnight, and cleaning faucet aerators where particles collect, helps in either case.
Have this ready when you call
- Which fixture, which floor
- Whether the main is closed
- Rough age of the house and heater
- Any past floods or drain work
The moment to phone us
- You have confirmed lead on your side of the property line and want it replaced. See water line replacement.
- The service is galvanized steel, which can also hold lead from older connections and often restricts pressure.
- You are planning landscaping or driveway work and want to replace the line while the ground is open.
First move in a leak
Close the main shut-off, open a low tap to drain pressure, then call (365) 464-5184.
Burlington specifics
Lead services are most likely in Burlington's oldest areas: downtown, parts of Aldershot and some early homes around Dynes and Roseland. Houses built after the mid-1950s typically used copper. Halton Region has replaced public-side lead pipe in many areas and has run programs to help homeowners with the private side; details change, so confirm with the Region before booking. Replacing only one side leaves part of the risk, so coordinating both portions makes sense. Other pre-purchase considerations are in our guide to buying an older home, and the effects of the 2014 storm on older homes are covered in lessons from 2014. Smaller everyday fixes, such as a running toilet, are much simpler by comparison.
Special care: households with infants, young children or pregnant members should prioritise testing and use filtered or bottled water for drinking and formula until results are known.
Questions we hear
Is lead pipe common in Burlington?
It is uncommon overall because most of the city was built after the 1950s, but it can appear in the oldest neighbourhoods.
Does a water filter remove lead?
Filters certified to NSF/ANSI 53 (lead reduction) can lower it. They are a temporary measure until the pipe is replaced.