The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities is conducting an online survey to gather information about the materials used in residents’ water service lines. Homes built before the federal government banned the use of lead pipes in 1986 are especially at risk.

On Wednesday, Oct. 30, the Department of Public Utilities began sending over 85,000 letters to properties where the service line materials either remain unknown or are confirmed to be lead or galvanized.

Since 2018, Richmond has cleared over 60,000 public water lines as not lead. However, the city still needs to account for tens of thousands of pipes for which the material is unknown. Many of the pipes that are unaccounted for are privately owned and connected to residential properties.

The survey provides step-by-step instructions on how to check if your home has lead pipes. Materials needed will include a smartphone to take pictures for the city, a penny or a key to scratch the pipes and a magnet to check magnetic properties of pipe material.

Although the use of lead pipes was federally banned in 1986, some older buildings contain pipes from the past. Lead can get into tap water through lead solder, home service piping, and brass fixtures, according to the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities.

Lead consumption can cause a range of health issues. Exposure can cause brain and liver damage, in addition to interfering with the production of red blood cells, which are responsible for delivering oxygen to the brain. The Environmental Protection Agency states there is no amount of lead consumption that can be considered safe.

Infants and children are especially vulnerable to the effects of lead consumption. Doses of lead that would have a low impact on adults have a larger impact on children, according to the EPA.

In children, low levels of exposure have been associated with damage to both the central and peripheral nervous systems, learning disabilities, reduced height, hearing impairment and issues with blood cell formation and function.

Lead accumulates within the body over time and is stored in the bones. During pregnancy, this poses risks, including reduced fetus growth and premature birth, according to the EPA.

The Department of Public Utilities’ efforts to replace lead pipes with safer materials spans decades, beginning in 1992.

According to their website, water does not contain lead when it leaves the treatment plant. However, with many buildings in Richmond being older, the city is seeking help to identify lead pipes in order to prevent the contamination of drinking water.

“The Department of Public Utilities takes its mission to provide safe, clean and reliable drinking water to its customers very seriously,” said April Bingham, DPU senior director in a press release. “We play a critical role in ensuring the public health of our community is always foremost and eliminating lead service lines is part of our mission work.”

Previously, the city has used a grant from the Virginia Department of Health to help property owners cover most of the cost of replacing aged water pipes. The program reopened in July of 2024 but has since “exceeded funding capacity.”

The city intends to use the results of the survey to develop an inventory of where lead pipes pose a threat in hopes of developing a comprehensive replacement plan.