SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – While the water delivered to those living in South Lake Tahoe is guaranteed to contain no lead in it, the lines bringing H2O to your home could be leaching lead into it anyway. South Lake Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) recently put out a notice for residents to find and check their lines to ensure they’re not made of either lead or galvanized metal, which could put people at risk for lead consumption.

Consuming lead can cause lead poisoning, which affects children far more severely than adults. It can lead to symptoms like abdominal pain, headaches, infertility, and memory issues. In more severe cases, it can result in intellectual disability, behavioral issues, seizures, and death.

Three years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated the Lead and Copper Rule, a regulation that helps prevent people from coming into contact with harmful metal particles through plumbing. The revisions required public water systems like the STPUD to research their service lines, give notice to those who potentially have lead service lines, and prepare an annual report for the EPA. The first report back was due in October this year.

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In their initial report, STPUD was unable to verify for sure what many of the lines are made of for a number of reasons.

First, STPUD was formed in the 1950s and began buying water districts in the area throughout the 60s and 70s, meaning they didn’t construct the lines. Any paperwork done regarding those comes from the many different sources who built them, and the documentation can sometimes be sparse, inaccurate, or incomplete.

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Next, STPUD is in the process of researching its meter sheets, and prior projects and completing field reports to identify service and home lines. Shelley Thomsen, STPUD public information officer, said, “We are currently developing a plan for line inventory and will continue working diligently with paper and field exercises to identify both service and home lines.”

Thomsen also stated the district is putting out a request for proposal in December to get a consultant to help inventory the service and drinking water lines for the final reason that the STPUD is still working on verifying the line materials. STPUD splits ownership of the lines with property owners, meaning they cannot directly check lines on properties without receiving a request.

It’s highly unlikely that your home’s line is made of lead. Thomsen stated, “We have never seen lead in our systems as it wasn’t commonly used in the time Tahoe was being developed.” Still, certain kinds of galvanized metal could pose an issue.

Ryan Lee, STPUD customer service manager, said that they are only concerned with pipes classified as GRR–Galvanized Requiring Replacement. “Any of these pipes that are downstream of a lead line could have lead cling to the pipe and still leach into the water. That would only come into play if there are service lines on our end that are made of lead.”

More likely, if your home was built before 1986, you may have old brass faucets that could contain lead. Thomsen told the Tribune that STPUD offers $40 water sampling tests to check for lead in those appliances. Alternatively, she said, “In the morning, before you use water, let the faucet run for about 15 to 30 seconds. That will help get rid of water that would have lead build up in it overnight as it sits in the pipes.”

Regardless of the material your line is made of, completing a simple test and submitting a survey online will help with the STPUD inventory report. “The more customers can help, the sooner we’ll know what’s in our community.”

To test your line, first locate where it enters your home, usually through a crawlspace or garage. If you cannot locate it, contact STPUD at 530-544-6474.

Then, perform a scratch test. Find a spot closest to the wall or floor where it enters and before it connects to a valve or home plumbing. Use a screwdriver or coin to lightly scratch it. If the pipe is lead, it’ll be easily scratched, and the scraped area will be shiny and silver. If the pipe is galvanized, it’ll be hard to scratch, and the scraped area will be dull gray.

After, perform a magnet test. Place a refrigerator magnet on the pipe. If it is plastic, copper, or lead, the magnet will not stick. If it is galvanized, it will stick.

Lastly, take a picture and send it to STPUD through their online form.

The STPUD will be available to help with identifying service line material in spring of 2025 and can be contacted by property owners, homeowners, or tenants who would like assistance.

For more information, the STPUD’s Water Service Line Inventory FAQ can be accessed in the resources section of their Water Service Line Inventory webpage: https://www.stpud.us/water-service-line-inventory.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.