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Service guide

Lead and Water Service Lines in Toledo: Notices, Replacement and Testing

Page date: November 15, 2026.

If you received a letter from the City of Toledo about a lead, galvanized or "unknown" water service line, this page explains what it means and what you can do. Every fact here comes from the City's published pages; programs and timelines change, so check the linked pages for the current status at your address.

What a service line is, and who owns it

A service line carries water from the water main under the street to your house. Toledo splits it into two pieces at the property line: the city side, owned and maintained by the City, and the customer side, owned and maintained by the property owner. (City of Toledo, Lead Line Replacements)

The city-side section runs from the water main to the curb stop shut-off in the public right-of-way. (City of Toledo, Lead Line Replacements)

Why you may have received a notice

The City says it mailed annual notices to about 50,000 Toledo water customers in December 2025 to comply with new EPA guidelines. Notices go to customers with confirmed lead, confirmed galvanized, or unknown material on either the city or customer side of the service line. (City of Toledo, Important Notice from Public Utilities)

The three kinds of notice, as the City describes them (same source):

Lead service line. Lead is confirmed on the city side, the customer side, or both. The City says all customer-owned lead lines were scheduled to be replaced by 2026 as part of the Toledo Recovery Plan, and that if lead is also found on the city side, it is replaced at the same time.
Galvanized service line. Sent to customers with a galvanized line that is or was downstream from a lead or lead-status-unknown line. The City says it "doesn't currently have a galvanized line replacement program." Customer-side galvanized lines can be replaced by the homeowner; city-side galvanized lines will be replaced in conjunction with roadway projects.
Unknown material. The City says customer-side lines were inspected during the AMI smart meter replacements, so all but about 6,000 customer lines have been inspected, and "it is likely that the unknown material is on the city side." If the city side is unknown, the City has to dig at the curb box to evaluate it.

Is the water safe?

The City's answer: "Yes." It says it uses specific water chemistry to coat pipes and service lines, and that required annual lead testing has consistently shown the water is safe to drink. (City of Toledo, Lead Line Replacements) The City's 2023 Water Quality Report lists the lead action level as 15 parts per billion (ppb) and reports that 90 percent of test results were below 4 ppb, with no violation. The same table lists an individual result above the action level of 143 ppb, which is a reminder that conditions at a single tap can differ from the system average. (City of Toledo, 2023 Water Quality Report)

The same report includes standard lead guidance: if water has been sitting for several hours, flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using it for drinking or cooking, and use cold water for cooking because hot water dissolves lead more quickly. The same report also warns that elevated lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. (City of Toledo, 2023 Water Quality Report)

How to check your address

The City's lead line page hosts a Water Service Inventory Map and a downloadable 2024 Lead Service Line Inventory. If your line is listed as unknown, the page also links to a simple at-home test and a form to report the result. (City of Toledo, Lead Line Replacements)

You can also look at the pipe where it enters your house, usually in the basement before the meter:

Lead: dull gray, soft enough that scratching it with a key or coin shows shiny silver metal, and a magnet will not stick.
Galvanized steel: gray, a magnet sticks, and scratching shows gray metal rather than shiny silver.
Copper: the color of a penny where scratched, and a magnet will not stick.
Plastic: white, black or blue plastic pipe.

For questions, the City lists Engage Toledo at 419-936-2020. (City of Toledo, Important Notice from Public Utilities)

Free lead line replacement: how it works

From the City's program page (City of Toledo, Lead Line Replacements):

Cost: "There is no cost to the property owner for replacement." The program is funded by grants and loans including the American Rescue Plan Act, an EPA Environmental Justice Grant, Community Development Block Grant funds and the Ohio EPA Water Replacement Loan Program, "not through service fees or assessments."
Who does it: the Division of Water Distribution replaces identified customer-side lead lines using a city contractor, who is responsible for excavation and restoration of your property.
Notice: the City sends a letter to the service address 45 days before a scheduled replacement.
Disruption: city-side replacement may take up to 3 days, with water service interrupted for less than 6 hours.
History: the City says it has replaced city-owned lead lines for 20 years through its water main replacement program, and also during roadway reconstruction, service repairs, and whenever private owners replace their lead lines.

After the line is replaced

The City's instructions (City of Toledo, Lead Line Replacements):

Flush. Open all taps and let cold water run for 30 minutes. Replacement can temporarily disturb lead particles.
Use the filter if provided. If the private-side line is not copper, the City provides a water filter certified to remove lead. Use it for all drinking and cooking water.
Watch for a sample kit. Three to six months after replacement, the City provides a sample bottle and instructions to customers with galvanized or lead lines on the customer side. Results are delivered within 30 days, sooner if lead is present.

Lead inside the house

A new service line does not remove every possible source. The City notes that in homes built before 1986, lead solder may have been used to connect interior pipes. Its advice: if you suspect lead solder based on the age of your home, flush your water for about 1 to 3 minutes when the system has not been used for more than 6 hours. (City of Toledo, Lead Line Replacements)

This applies to a lot of Toledo housing. American Community Survey estimates (2020-2024) put the median year built for Toledo's housing units at 1955, and about 84% of units were built before 1980. (Census Reporter, ACS tables B25034/B25035)

Older faucets and fixtures can also contain lead. The City's water quality report notes that even legally "lead-free" plumbing may contain up to eight percent lead, and recommends removing faucet aerators at least monthly to clean out small particles that can collect in the screens. (City of Toledo, 2023 Water Quality Report)

Replacing a galvanized line yourself

Because Toledo currently has no galvanized replacement program, owners who want a customer-side galvanized line replaced arrange it themselves. (City of Toledo, Important Notice from Public Utilities) Toledo's plumbing fee schedule lists water service lines among items covered by plumbing permits. (TMC 1307.05) Work in the right-of-way and at the curb stop involves the City's Division of Water Distribution, so ask any contractor how they will coordinate with the City. Check contractors on the City's registered plumbing contractors list.

Outside Toledo

Suburbs that buy water from Toledo, and those with their own plants, run their own service line programs and inventories. Perrysburg, for example, receives its drinking water from Toledo but publishes its own annual water quality report. (City of Perrysburg, 2025 Consumer Confidence Report) Check with your own water utility.