Lead and Copper Survey
Dear CMU Customer:
We need your help in the identification of the type of water service line entering your home.
In compliance with a new rules from the E.P.A. and Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Chillicothe Municipal Utilities Water Department must identify every water service line (LEAD, COPPER, etc.) in Chillicothe that was put in before 1990. We are asking our customers for help in the identification of the water service line where it enters the house. If you are unable to identify or access the water line, please call (660) 646-0562, and a crew will be scheduled to help identify it for you. If the water service type cannot be determined, or if we receive no response from the customer, CMU crews may need to excavate the water line approximately three feet from the meter.
If you haven’t completed our survey, please complete online below or click here for downloadable survey.
Thank you,
Chris Bonderer
Water Systems Superintendent
How to Identify a Lead Water Service Line
Identification Procedure
Tools Needed:
Flathead Screwdriver
Refrigerator Magnet
Locate the water service line coming into the building. this is typically found in the basement. An “inlet valve” and the water meter are installed on the pipe after the point of entry.
Identify a test area on the pipe between the point where it comes into the building and the inlet valve. If the pipe is covered or wrapped, expose a small area of metal.
Use the flat edge of a screwdriver or other tool to scratch through any corrosion that may have built up on the outside of the pipe.
Lead Pipe
If the scraped area is shiny and silver, your service line is lead. A magnet will not stick to a lead pipe.
Copper Pipe
If the scraped area is copper in color, like a penny your service line is copper. A magnet will not stick to a copper pipe.
Galvanized Steel Pipe
If the scraped area remains a dull gray, and a magnet sticks to the surface, your service line is galvanized steel.
