Lead — Dull gray color and very soft. If scraped with a key, it will turn a bright silver color. Even a very strong magnet will not stick to lead. 

Galvanized — Dull gray color. Strong magnets will typically stick to galvanized pipes.

Copper — Typically the color of a copper penny.

Plastic — Can be white, black or blue. They are rigid and joined to the water supply piping with a clamp.

Service line pipes may be accessible where the pipe enters the home through a basement or crawl space wall or floor. The service line is under 2 inches in diameter. Test the pipe where it enters your house. Testing for the town's purposes should be performed in these areas and not on indoor or premise plumbing.

Residents can easily determine the material of their water pipes using simple tests. Please report your findings to the town through the Water Service Line Material Form.

Visual Test

Visually inspect your pipe. Is it plastic or metallic?

• Plastic pipe may be white, black, or blue in color. If it is plastic, take a photo of your pipe and report your inspection to the town.
• If it is metallic, perform a scratch test.

Scratch Test

Use a key or coin to scratch the surface of the pipe. What color do you see where you scratched the pipe?

• If you see a brown or gold color like the color of a penny, then your pipe is copper or brass. Take a photo of your pipe and report your inspection to the town.
• If you see a silver color or no visible scratch, perform a magnet test. 

Magnet Test

Hold a strong magnet against the pipe. Does the magnet stick to the pipe? If the magnet:

• Sticks to your pipe, then your pipe is galvanized steel.
• Does not stick to your pipe, then the pipe is likely lead.

Take a picture of your pipe and report your inspection to the town.