The city conducted a statistical survey in 2006 that showed that the buildings that were the most likely to have a lead service line are buildings with eight dwellings or fewer built before 1970.

The city estimates that lead service lines affect 16 of its 19 boroughs (lead service lines are unlikely to be found in L’Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève, Pierrefonds-Roxboro and Saint-Léonard).

First of all, do you know what a water inlet is? It’s the small-diameter pipe (usually less than 2”) that connects the aqueduct on the street to the building. It’s usually made of lead or copper and consists of 2 sections: the one belonging to the city and the one belonging to the building owner (from inside the building to the property line). Both sections can be made of lead, but it’s possible for the section belonging to the building owner to be made of lead and the section belonging to the City not, or vice versa.

One of the first things you need to do is consult the dedicated interactive map. It gives a good indication of the presence of lead water inlets in the city, depending on your address.

Check your service line

To check your service line yourself, you just need to find the water shutoff valve in your building and have a look at the pipe. If it is lead:

• It will be grey
• If you strike it, it will not resonate
• If you scratch it, you will see metallic marks
• It will not attract a magnet

Check out this explanatory video to help you out:

If you are unable to check your service line yourself, just contact the building owner or a plumber. 

Even if the drinking water service line in your home isn’t made of lead, an underground portion may be. The only way to know is to have the water screened. In addition to the service line, other sources of lead may exist in your plumbing, such as soldering, taps and accessories.

In 2010, the city implemented a rapid screening protocol, in collaboration with the CRSNG Drinking Water Industrial Chair at the l’École Polytechnique de Montréal. A city representative (clearly identifiable with an official ID card and clothing with the city’s logo) screens the water in all buildings that could have a lead service line using an instrument that measures the level of lead in the water from your kitchen faucet (Palintest). This annual program takes place from June to October. Affected residents receive a notice informing them that an employee will come to screen the water in their home, after which they will receive the result, whether it is positive or negative. 

Please note that this screening confirms whether there is lead in your water, but is not a regulatory analysis carried out by a certified laboratory. 

Anticipatory screening

If you live in a building that may have a lead service line, you can request lead screening, without waiting to receive a notice from the city.

What next?

Under By-law 20-030 governing connections to the public waterworks and sewer systems and stormwater management, replacing the private portion of your service line is required if it is made of lead or composed of a material that is or will be made of lead.