waterdamagequotesThe water pipe coming in · and who pays for your half
Lead and galvanized water pipes: how to tell, why they leak, and what five cities pay for your side
A lead water service is the pipe that brings drinking water from the main in the street into an older house, and it is two problems at once. It is a health question, which Health Canada answers with a number. And it is a water damage question: the Insurance Bureau of Canada says lead pipes are more likely to leak and crack, and that galvanized steel, the other pre-war material, corrodes from the inside out.
It is also a municipal-subsidy question of exactly the kind this site was built to answer, because the pipe is split between two owners and every city draws the line and the help differently. This page sets out how to tell what you have, where your side ends in five cities, and what each of them pays, lends or requires.
The short version
- Health Canada’s limit for lead in drinking water is 0.005 mg/L (5 µg/L), set in 2019; the Plumbing Code allowed lead pipe until 1975.
- IBC says lead pipes are more likely to leak and crack, and galvanized steel corrodes from the inside out, causing leaks.
- The pipe has two owners. The city replaces its side; the private side is yours, and the help towards it runs from nothing to a loan to a shared cost.
- Hamilton lends up to $3,000; London puts the cost on the tax bill; Saskatoon charges the owner 40 per cent and replaces both sides itself.
What the pipe is called, and what the city calls it
| What you would say | What the city or Health Canada calls it | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| The water pipe coming in | Water service line / water service pipe | The pipe from the main to your meter. The one that can be lead. |
| The city’s part | Public portion | From the main to the property line — or, in Ottawa, to the shut-off valve. |
| My part | Private portion / private side | From that line into the house. Yours to replace in every city here. |
| Lead pipe | Lead water service connection (LWSC in Saskatoon’s by-law) | The by-law term matters: Saskatoon sets a deadline against it. |
| Old steel pipe | Galvanized steel | Zinc-coated steel; IBC says it corrodes from the inside out. |
| Replacing only the city side | Partial replacement | Saskatoon does not allow it; Toronto Public Health recommends against it. |
| Getting the city to go first | Priority replacement | Toronto’s programme, if you commit to replacing your side. |
| Paying over time | Loan on the water or tax bill | Hamilton (water bill) and London (tax bill), each over ten years. |
How to tell what you have
Health Canada, Drinking water: what about lead? · 2018
Health Canada adds that the Code allowed lead in solder until 1986, and describes a lead service line as a greyish-black, soft metal, easily dented or scraped with a knife. Its guideline document notes the Code permitted galvanized steel pipe until 1980. Three dates that bracket the houses worth checking.
The dates are the first filter. A house built after 1975 should not have a lead service; lead solder went on until 1986 and galvanized steel pipe until 1980, on Health Canada’s account. The cities narrow it further for their own housing: Toronto says houses built before the mid-1950s may have a lead service; Hamilton points to about 20,000 homes built before 1955; Ottawa says homes built after 1958 are at little or no risk; London says there is little cause for concern after 1952; Saskatoon points to neighbourhoods built before 1950.
Then look at the pipe where it comes through the basement wall to the meter. Toronto says a lead pipe is grey, scratches easily and does not sound hollow when tapped. Ottawa says lead is dull grey and easily scratched by a hard object, and that copper is red-brown. IBC describes galvanized steel as having a silvery-grey metallic appearance.
Insurance Bureau of Canada, Know your home’s history · 2025
IBC places both in pre-war homes (1900 to 1945). Its identification line: a water service line that is greyish-black and scratches easily may be lead; galvanized steel has a silvery-grey metallic appearance. IBC also notes that if lead or the zinc coating dissolves into the water, the water can become contaminated.
Why it matters twice: water quality and water damage
Health Canada, Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality — Lead · 2019
The maximum acceptable concentration for total lead in drinking water, measured at the tap. Health Canada set it on March 8, 2019, halving the 0.01 mg/L guideline set in 1992. The technical document says reducing exposure means controlling corrosion and removing lead-containing components such as lead service lines.
Health Canada’s guideline is measured at the tap, and its technical document is explicit that the lasting fix is removing lead components such as service lines, not just filtering. Toronto offers a faucet filter rebate for lower-income households with a child under six or a pregnant resident; that is a stopgap beside the replacement programme, not a substitute for it.
The water damage side is the one this site usually covers. A lead or galvanized service is old metal pipe under pressure, and IBC’s phrase — more likely to leak and crack — describes the same kind of event as any other supply-line failure: water running into a basement until someone shuts the main. Where the break is outside the house, underground, it becomes a service line question.
The pipe has two owners
Health Canada, Drinking water: what about lead? · 2018
Health Canada's best permanent solution is replacement, and it tells homeowners to ask their municipality or water utility about programs or incentives. That is the same split this site describes for sewer laterals — applied to the water pipe coming in rather than the sewer pipe going out.
The split is why so many lead services survive. A city can replace its half in the street, but if the private half stays, the house is still on lead — and a partial replacement can disturb what is left. Toronto Public Health strongly recommends replacing both sides at once. Saskatoon goes further and will not do a partial replacement at all.
| City | The city’s part | Your part |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Watermain to the property line | Property line into the home |
| Ottawa | Watermain to the water shut-off valve | Shut-off valve to the home |
| Hamilton | The public portion | The portion on private property — exclusively the owner’s |
| London | Water main to the property line | The portion on private property, part of your household plumbing |
| Saskatoon | The City replaces both portions | The owner pays 40 per cent of the total cost |
City of Ottawa, Lead Pipe Replacement Program — Frequently asked questions (PDF) · 2025
Created October 9, 2025. Ottawa draws its line at the water shut-off valve rather than a property line. The City says about 15 per cent of Ottawa homes were built with lead water services, used until the 1950s, and that homes built after 1958 are at little or no risk. A City project report from April 2023 refers to a rebate of up to $1,000 through the Lead Pipe Replacement Program; ottawa.ca's live programme page could not be read to confirm the current figure.
Five cities, five different deals
Every city here replaces its own side. What differs is what happens to yours: whether the city helps pay, lends, sets a deadline, or simply waits for you.
| City | Help with the private side | What triggers the City’s side |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | None found — the private side is the homeowner’s cost | Commit to replacing yours; the City aims to replace its side within 12 weeks |
| Hamilton | Up to $3,000 loan on the water bill, over up to ten years; zero-interest for LEAP or OESP customers | When you replace the private portion |
| London | Loan added to the property tax bill, repaid over ten years | The City then replaces the public portion at no cost |
| Ottawa | A rebate of up to $1,000 in an April 2023 City document; current figure not confirmed | Through the Lead Pipe Replacement Program |
| Saskatoon | The owner pays 40 per cent of the total; the City replaces both sides | A by-law deadline for owners to replace their lead connection |
City of Toronto, Priority Lead Water Service Replacement Program · 2026
Page modified July 31, 2026. The City aims to replace its portion within 12 weeks of approval, and says the cost of the private side is the homeowner's. This site found no Toronto loan or rebate for the private side. Toronto Public Health strongly recommends replacing both sides at the same time.
City of Hamilton, Lead Water Service Replacement · 2026
Page modified September 3, 2026. The loan, with interest, goes onto the monthly water bill for up to ten years; owners in low-income energy support programmes such as LEAP or OESP qualify for a zero-interest loan. When the private portion is replaced, the City replaces the public portion. About 20,000 Hamilton homes built before 1955 may have a lead service, by the City's account.
City of London, Water system · 2026
Through the Lead Service Extension Replacement Loan Program, for homes with up to three dwelling units; it does not reimburse owners who have already replaced their pipes. The City then replaces the public portion at no cost to the homeowner, and says there is little cause for concern for a house built after 1952. Read through a fetch service; london.ca blocks automated reads.
Saskatoon: a share, and a deadline the City’s own pages disagree on
City of Saskatoon, Lead pipe brochure (2024) · 2024
The City says it does not allow partial replacement of a service line because of the increased risk to public health, so its replacements include both the public and private portions. Properties in neighbourhoods built before 1950 may still have lead pipes.
City of Saskatoon, Bylaw No. 8880, s. 10.1(2.1) · 2024
LWSC is the by-law's abbreviation for a lead water service connection. The City's current lead pipes page gives a different date — that the City is replacing lead service lines by January 1, 2029 — and says about 1,306 remained at the end of 2023 after about 3,210 were replaced from 2017. The by-law and the web page disagree; this site reports both.
So a Saskatoon owner faces the only mandatory replacement on this page, and two official dates for it. The by-law’s date is the one with legal force; the web page describes the City’s own programme timetable. Anyone in Saskatoon with a lead service should ask the City which applies to their address.
What your insurer may do
Insurance Bureau of Canada, Know your home’s history · 2025
IBC's advice if lead is confirmed. It adds that many insurers reward risk-reducing upgrades such as swapping out lead plumbing, and that upgrading to copper or plastic plumbing can help reduce the cost of insuring a home. It names no insurer and no discount, and neither does this site.
This is the rare case where the insurance news may be good: IBC frames lead replacement as a risk-reducing upgrade that many insurers reward. It is “may” and “many”, not a promise, and IBC names no figure — so ask before the work and get the answer in writing, because a discount offered after the invoice is harder to secure than one agreed before it.
Insurance Bureau of Canada, Water Damage and Flood Protection · 2026
IBC describes this as applying “whether it occurs on or outside your property.”
The distinction to keep straight: service line coverage, where it is sold, responds to a pipe that fails. It does not pay to replace a pipe that is merely old or made of lead. The replacement is maintenance on your own property; the failure is the insurable event.
The order that works
- Check the date and look at the pipe. Built before the mid-1950s is the first signal in every city here; a soft grey pipe at the meter is the second.
- Ask the city what its records say. Toronto will check its records on a 311 request, which it says may take up to 30 business days.
- Ask your insurer about incentives before you book the work.
- Apply for the city’s programme before signing. Hamilton’s loan needs at least one quote from a licensed contractor; London’s does not reimburse work already done.
- Replace both sides together. Toronto Public Health strongly recommends it, and Saskatoon will not replace one side alone.
Why this site has nothing to gain from your answer. We are paid a fixed amount for each enquiry, agreed before it is sent. It does not move with the size of the job, with whether you book anything, or with which company you pick. So there is no version of this page where steering you is worth anything to us — which is also why you will not find a company named, rated or recommended anywhere on this site.
Questions people actually ask
How do I know if I have a lead water service line?
Health Canada says the Plumbing Code allowed lead pipe until 1975 and describes a lead service line as a greyish-black soft metal, easily dented or scraped with a knife. Cities narrow the dates: Toronto points to houses built before the mid-1950s, Hamilton to about 20,000 homes built before 1955, and Ottawa says homes built after 1958 are at little or no risk.
What is Health Canada's limit for lead in drinking water?
The maximum acceptable concentration for total lead is 0.005 mg/L (5 µg/L), measured at the tap. Health Canada set it on March 8, 2019, reducing it from 0.01 mg/L, set in 1992.
Who pays to replace a lead water service?
The city replaces its portion and the homeowner is responsible for the private portion in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton and London. Saskatoon replaces both portions and charges the homeowner 40 per cent of the total cost.
Is there help paying for lead pipe replacement?
Hamilton offers a $3,000 interest-bearing loan repaid on the water bill over up to ten years, zero-interest for low-income energy programme customers. London lets owners add the cost to the property tax bill over ten years. This site found no Toronto loan or rebate for the private side.
Do galvanized pipes cause water damage?
The Insurance Bureau of Canada says galvanized steel begins to corrode from the inside out, causing leaks, and that lead pipes are more likely to leak and crack, causing water damage.
Will replacing lead pipes lower my insurance?
IBC advises asking your insurer whether replacing lead pipes qualifies for premium discounts, credits or other incentives, and says many insurers reward risk-reducing upgrades such as swapping out lead plumbing. It names no insurer or amount.
Where to read next
- When the failed pipe is yours
- Poly-B: the grey pipe from 1975 to 1998
- Kitec: the pipe with a court record
- Saskatoon: the sewer side of the same split
- Hamilton: its sewer backup rules and grant
Sources cited on this page
- Health Canada, Drinking water: what about lead?
- Health Canada, Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality — Lead
- Insurance Bureau of Canada, Know your home’s history
- City of Toronto, Lead & Drinking Water
- City of Toronto, Priority Lead Water Service Replacement Program
- City of Ottawa, Lead Pipe Replacement Program — Frequently asked questions (PDF)
- City of Hamilton, Lead Water Service Replacement
- City of London, Water system
- City of Saskatoon, Lead pipe brochure (2024)
- City of Saskatoon, Bylaw No. 8880, s. 10.1(2.1)
- Insurance Bureau of Canada, Water Damage and Flood Protection
Every figure above was read from the source it is attributed to on September 20, 2026. How we check this.
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