Do I Have a Lead Service Line? A Fort Wayne Guide
Short answer: if your home was built before 1937, City Utilities says it likely has a lead service line. Check the pipe where it enters your basement, look up the city's inventory, and see whether you are in a replacement project area.
What a service line is
The water service line is the pipe that brings water from the city main under the street to your house. In Fort Wayne, ownership is split: City Utilities owns the part from the main to the curb stop near your property line, and the property owner owns the rest, from the curb stop into the house (Fort Wayne City Utilities, Remove Lead Water Lines).
How to check your pipe
- Find where the water line enters your home, usually on the front basement wall near the water meter.
- Look at the pipe before the meter (on the street side).
- Scratch it gently with a key or coin.
- Lead: dull gray, scratches to a shiny silver, soft, and a magnet will not stick. Often has a rounded bulge at joints.
- Galvanized steel: gray, scratch stays dull, a magnet sticks, threaded joints.
- Copper: scratches to a penny color, magnet will not stick.
- Plastic: usually black, blue or white.
- Check the City Utilities service line inventory map, which shows what the utility knows about the material at each address. The utility also has a property owner survey that walks you through identifying the pipe and lets you send photos (Fort Wayne City Utilities, Remove Lead Water Lines).
The City Utilities program
City Utilities runs a lead line replacement program. It has offered free replacements in portions of certain neighborhoods with federal grant money, and financing and low-income assistance in and outside project areas. The utility says it does not charge you if no lead or galvanized line is found, and that most replacements are done by directional drilling with a hole near the curb stop and one near the main, rather than a trench across the yard. Water is usually off for a few hours (Fort Wayne City Utilities, Remove Lead Water Lines). In 2024, nearly 2,400 homeowners signed up (Fort Wayne City Utilities, 2025 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report).
You can also hire a contractor on your own. If you do, City Utilities asks you to let it know so it can replace its portion too. It does not reimburse private work outside its program, so if you are in a project area, check the program first.
What to do in the meantime
- City Utilities adds orthophosphate to the water, which coats the inside of lead pipe and reduces lead release (Fort Wayne City Utilities, 2025 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report).
- Before drinking or cooking, run the cold water for 30 seconds to two minutes if the water has been sitting, as the utility suggests.
- Use cold water for drinking, cooking and baby formula.
- Clean faucet aerators regularly.
- Consider a filter tested and labeled to reduce lead (NSF/ANSI Standard 53), and private lab testing if you are concerned.
After a partial replacement
When only one side of the line is replaced, lead levels can rise for a while because the work disturbs the pipe. City Utilities recommends flushing: remove aerators, run each cold faucet fully for five minutes starting nearest the meter and working from the lowest floor up, then clean and reinstall the aerators (Fort Wayne City Utilities, Remove Lead Water Lines).
Lead inside the house
A new service line does not remove lead solder or old fixtures inside the home. The EPA notes homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures and solder (EPA, Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water). If you are planning a repipe, it can be done along with the service line. See repiping and lead service lines.
Related services
- Repiping & Lead Service Lines: Replacing galvanized, polybutylene and lead pipe, including the private lead service line to the house.
- Leak Detection & Repair: Finding and fixing hidden leaks: pipes in walls and ceilings, slab and basement leaks, high water bills.
- Toilet & Faucet Repair: Running and clogged toilets, dripping faucets, low flow from scale, shutoff valves and fixture replacement.
Sources: Fort Wayne City Utilities, Remove Lead Water Lines; Fort Wayne City Utilities, 2025 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report; EPA, Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water.
Frequently asked questions
Which homes in Fort Wayne have lead service lines?
City Utilities says homes built before 1937 likely do. Check the pipe at your meter and the utility's inventory.
Who pays to replace a lead service line?
The private side is the owner's responsibility, but City Utilities offers free replacement in some grant-funded areas and financing or assistance elsewhere.
Will the yard be torn up?
Usually not much. Most replacements use directional drilling with small pits at each end.
Is Fort Wayne water lead-free?
City Utilities says its water leaving the plant and in its pipes is lead-free. Lead can come from private service lines and home plumbing.
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