NORFOLK, Va. — Thousands of notices are going out to Hampton Roads residents asking them to take a look at their water service line down in the basement.
Every city in America is now required to identify and remove all lead water service lines in an effort to eliminate any threats to clean, drinking water.
However, Hampton Roads Public Utilities directors told 13News Now that the water is and remains safe to drink.
"Each locality is required to have what's called a Corrosion Control Program," said Paul Retel, Director of the Public Utilities Department in Suffolk. "We feed a chemical that protects the inside of our pipe lines from the release of any lead or copper, so again, the water is very safe to drink."
According to the City of Norfolk, up to 800 lines have been identified as "in need to be replaced," and in Suffolk that number could reach 3,000 lines. However, both numbers could go up as homeowners start to self-report.
To identify the material of your water service line, you can use a magnet and a screwdriver to scratch the pipe:
Copper: A scratched area will be shiny orange, like a new penny. A magnet will not stick to copper.
Lead: A scratched area will be shiny silver and will be easy to scratch. Lead is dull and very soft.
Galvanized steel: A scratched area will be dull gray and will be hard to scratch. A strong magnet will stick to galvanized steel.
Plastic: A scratched area will stay the same color as the pipe. Plastic pipes are typically black or blue.
Homeowners are then asked to contact the City with their results so they can mark you off the list, or put your name down as in need of a replacement.
Construction for this replacement project is expected to start in 2025, and should last for several years.
You can also check the maps of Hampton Roads' cities inventories at these links: