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Lead Water Service Lines

The DNR is requiring all water utilities to gather information about property water service lines as well as the internal house piping material. The water service line is the water pipe that comes into your house through the basement floor and into your water meter. Most lines are made of copper, and the newer ones are likely plastic.

Marathon City Water Utility System is young compared to some other water systems located in larger Villages and Cities. We have found 2 lead services in 5 years of inspections. For Marathon City, the plumbing is the main concern when it comes to lead exposure in the water. Our watermains consist of Ductile Iron, PVC or plastic with the water service lines mainly Copper, Galvanized Steel or Plastic. There is a chance of having a Lead Service Line as we did find 2 doing inspections in 2024. For the two locations, the homes were built around the 1930’s.

This will help you identify your piping:

Service Water Line - Identification

Service Water Line Identification Tips

Using the edge of a screwdriver, penny, or another similar tool, scratch or scrape through any corrosion that may have built up on the outside of the pipe so that the color of the pipe can clearly be seen.

You can also use a magnet and the color of the pipe to identify the material of the water service line from the following criteria:

  • Lead: Shiny and silver-gray. Will not stick to magnet
  • Galvanized Steel: Dull silver-gray, Will stick to magnet
  • Copper: Copper like a penny. Will not stick to magnet
  • Plastic: Vary in color. Will not stick to magnet

Lead Water Service Line Inventory

You can click HERE to find our inventory of water services submitted to the WI DNR on 10/16/2024 and their material composition.

 

Please call 715-443-0077 or email Ken Bloom, Director of Public Works & Utilities at kbloom@marathoncitywi.gov if you have any questions or you can supply us with any further information, including pictures, concerning what the pipes are made of in your home. Please include your property address with the email.