Lead and water service lines

It is rare to find lead in Calgary's drinking water. That's because lead is not naturally occurring in the Bow and Elbow Rivers. The only way for lead to be found in the water is for it to be picked up in the distribution system.

Lead service connections were only used for a short time period, primarily between 1939 and 1947, during World War II when copper was not readily available.

Following the war, copper once again became the main material for service lines. The City's data shows that it is rare to find a home built after 1950 that has lead service lines on public or private property.​

To see the material your home’s public water service line is made of you can search our Public Water Service Lines database​. 

Please follow these steps:

1. Click on the blue “View Data” button on the right.
2. Type your address into the “Find in this dataset” search bar on the top right.

The City of Calgary reaches out to and works directly with these customers as part of our Tap Water Sampling Program to test their drinking water each year.

If we do find a home that has elevated levels of lead we take action right away to ensure the drinking water is safe.

The City proactively works with homeowners whose property has been identified as having public lead service pipes. We mail notices to these residents each year and we offer these services to ensure high quality drinking water:

• Water quality testing
• Education and tips about maintaining water quality
• A rebate for an NSF-53 certified, kitchen-tap mounted or built-in water filtration device, an NSF-58 certified reverse osmosis system, or an NSF-62 certified distillation system.

If you have reason to believe that your home has a public lead water service, and you have not received a letter from The City in the past year, please contact 311.

In the past, The City would replace the public side of the service main after any lead service on the private side has been replaced by the property owner.

The reason for this is that a partial replacement, where a length of lead service is left in the ground, disturbs the pipe and can increase the amount of lead in the water.

The City is currently working on a plan to accelerate the removal of all remaining public and private lead service lines by 2023.

The City is responsible for the water service line that extends from the water main up to the homeowner's property line.

All pipes, solder and fittings on private property are the responsibility of the property owner. The figure below demonstrates the delineation between the public and private side.

Flush the pipes: After long periods of non-use, let the water run for a period of time. This ensures fresh water is drawn directly from our water distribution system.

• Conservation Tip: Use flushed water for non-potable purposes such as watering plants or washing dishes.

Use cold water: For drinking, cooking or preparing baby formula use cold water. Hot water is more likely to leach minerals or metals from the plumbing. Boiling water does not remove lead.

Plumbing inspection: A licensed plumber can determine if a home contains lead solder, lead pipes or pipe fittings. The presence of these materials does not mean lead is in the water, but rather that there is the potential for lead to be in the water.

NSF 53 Filters: Consider the use of an NSF 53 certified filter. Filters with NSF 53 certification are independently proven to reduce lead concentrations and come in a variety of formats such as pitcher filters, tap mounted filters and built-in filters.

For more information on NSF certified filters, please visit the NSF website.

Water Quality Testing: The City only provides water quality testing through the annual Tap Water Sampling Program for properties known to, or likely having a lead water service line.

In all other cases, to test the water homeowners should arrange for sampling and testing by a private accredited licensed laboratory. For more information visit:

• The Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation
• The Standards Council of Canada

Home building and maintenance: Make sure lead-free materials are used when renovating or building a new home. Remove faucet strainers periodically to rinse and remove any debris.

Hire professionals: If installing water treatment systems such as water softeners or filtration devices, make sure you have the installation done by a certified plumber.

You can also check for lead pipes and fixtures within your home.

• Alberta Health Services - Lead Frequently Asked Questions
• Alberta Environment & Parks - Guidance Document for Managing Lead in Municipal Drinking Water Systems in Alberta
• Health Canada - Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality - Lead