If you are interested in finding out information about your home’s service lines, visit our full inventory and enter your address into the top left search bar.

Information about Lead
The drinking water that Gwinnett County provides to homes and businesses does not contain lead. However, lead can get into the water as it moves through household pipes and fixtures that contain lead. We take every precautionary step to reduce corrosion, or the dissolving of metals, in drinking water during the treatment process to minimize the potential of lead leaching into drinking water. This helps protect the drinking water from lead exposure if it travels through a lead pipe or a pipe with lead solder.  

The County is responsible for the pipes that bring water to your meter. All plumbing, pipes, and fixtures between the meter and your home are the homeowner’s responsibility. Recent ruling from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires water utilities to take an inventory of service lines owned by the utility and those privately owned. Through our extensive research and investigation, we can confidently say that there are no lead service lines in Gwinnett County. This means that the pipes delivering water to your meter and your home do not contain lead or lead solder.

Safe Drinking Water Act Information
In 1986, Federal regulations and amendments were made to the Safe Drinking Water Act prohibiting the use of lead in public water systems. By the enforcement date of January 1, 1990, Georgia had completely transitioned to lead-free systems. Homes built before 1990 could contain fixtures or other indoor plumbing that contains lead or lead solder.

Most water systems stopped using lead much earlier than the Federal regulation. Gwinnett’s water system began in the 1950s, when most utilities were no longer using lead pipes. Because many of the homes in Gwinnett County are newer, we have fewer homes that could have lead plumbing or lead-based solder.

What is lead?
Lead is a soft, malleable metal that was once used in items from gasoline to paint. Due to its adverse health effects, the federal government began limiting its use in the 1980s. 

How does lead get into drinking water? 
The water that Gwinnett Water provides to homes and businesses does not contain lead. However, lead can get into the water as it moves through household pipes and fixtures that contain lead or lead solder. 

Does Gwinnett have lead service lines?
The 1986 Safe Drinking Water Act banned the use of lead service lines and lead solder for the installation or repair of any public water system or any private plumbing that provides water for human consumption. Most water systems stopped using lead much earlier. Gwinnett’s water system began in the 1950s, when most utilities were no longer using lead pipes.

Through our extensive research and investigation, which included on-site verifications, documentation, and third-party plumber interviews, we can confidently say that there are no lead service lines in Gwinnett County. This means that the pipes delivering water to your meter and your home do not contain lead or lead solder.

If you are interested in finding out information about your home’s service lines, visit our full inventory and enter your address into the top left search bar.

How does lead exposure affect your health?
Lead can cause serious health problems if too much is consumed through drinking water or other sources. It has been shown to cause damage to organs and can interfere with the production of red blood cells. Children, infants, and pregnant women are at the greatest risk from lead exposure. Exposure could cause brain damage, stunted growth, hypertension, anemia, and more.

There is no known safe level of lead in a human body, however the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has set a “threshold of concern” at 5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (µg/dL). 

What does Gwinnett County do to protect drinking water from exposure to lead? 
The Water Resources Laboratory monitors many parameters of water quality continuously as water enters the distribution system. The lab also performs water quality parameter testing quarterly at ten sites around the county and both drinking water plants.

Corrosion (the dissolving or erosion of metals) control measures are put in place to protect the water as well. Phosphate, which is a naturally occurring mineral that can also be found in many food sources, is added to the water. The phosphate coats the pipes, providing a protective barrier. This helps protect the water from potential exposure to lead in private, or in-home plumbing.

Although lead soldering of copper water pipes was banned in Georgia in 1986, some homes may still contain these plumbing systems. Per federal regulation, we test locations with these “at-risk” plumbing systems.

Is lead in drinking water regulated? 
Yes, the EPA regulates lead through the Lead and Copper Rule section of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The rule requires utilities to test tap water from a sampling of homes in the county. Lead levels should be below 15 parts per billion (ppb) for 90 percent of the samples tested. Water from Gwinnett County DWR has consistently met this EPA standard for more than 20 years.

What were the results of Gwinnett County’s most recent lead testing? 
Per federal regulations, we test homes located throughout the county to ensure that our corrosion control is effective. You can find the most up-to-date testing information in our Water Quality Report. When testing for lead, 90 percent of all samples tested must be less than the 15 ppb action level. This means that out of every 10 homes sampled, nine must be at or below this level. Because our lead levels have remained consistently low, we are only required by EPA to conduct lead sampling once every three years.

What can I do if I am concerned about lead in my home?
If you are concerned that your indoor plumbing may contain lead, there are two local and certified labs that can test for the presence and concentration of lead. The test for lead ranges from $15 to $40, depending on the number of samples submitted. Please contact your chosen lab for more information and proper sample collection protocol.

Eurofins, Chamblee: 770.457.8177

Pace Analytical, Norcross: 770.734.4200

What precautions should I take regarding water quality testing in my home?
Gwinnett County does not send employees into your home to test your water. Be cautious of companies making claims about water quality and be sure to trust a certified lab for testing.

What steps can I take to reduce lead exposure in my home’s plumbing?

If you have lead solder or other lead sources in your home plumbing, here are some steps you can take to further reduce lead:

• If water has been sitting in your pipes for an extended period of time (more than six hours), flush the line by letting the cold water faucet run for one to two minutes before using the water for drinking or cooking.
• Only use cold water for cooking and drinking. Lead leaches more easily into hot water.
• Clean out the aerators, or screens on the faucet, periodically. Over an extended period of time, these screens can trap sediment and debris. They twist off easily and can be cleaned or replaced, if needed.
• Use a filter certified to remove lead (look for NSF Standard 53) for drinking, cooking and making infant formula. Replace the filter according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Boiling water does not remove lead.

Who do I contact at Gwinnett if I have questions about my service line?
Email DWRServiceLineInfo@GwinnettCounty.com or call 678.376.7027 with comments or questions.