Minnesota map shows whether your home has a lead pipe

Minnesotans can use a new tool to check whether a lead pipe is sending water into their home, part of a push by the Biden administration and state officials to remove lead pipes from the drinking water system over the next decade.

The map, available online at Maps.umn.edu/lsl/, covers all community water systems in Minnesota except the small community of Hartland in rural Freeborn County.

The map today identifies 88,368 lines across the state, but there are gaps in the data – the status of 281,233 lines in Minnesota, or about 19% of the total, is still unknown.

No information about private well users is displayed.

Residents whose homes have lead pipes should expect to hear from their water system about next steps to remove them, Andrea Ahneman, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Health, wrote in an email.

Lead is a neurotoxic metal that can cause developmental problems and damage to nervous systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It has also been used in plumbing for decades and can linger in many older fixtures, including service lines that connect homes to water networks.

It's not safe to consume, but the EPA has an “action level” of 15 parts per billion, which is the trigger for water systems to reach customers and potentially adjust their treatment methods. The agency has proposed reducing that level to 10 ppb.

According to data collected by MDH, the five utilities with the highest number of lead lines on private property are:

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