The City of Tallahassee

Water Service Lines – Lead & Copper Rule

For more than 120 years, the City of Tallahassee has been providing our community with clean, safe, and reliable drinking water. Our commitment and our passion run deep – from rigorous testing and advanced technology to national and international certifications for environmental protection.

Since 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule has established guidelines to minimize lead and copper in drinking water across the United States. The City's delivery of water to customers consistently meets all of these and other regulatory health-based standards.

Lead-free Water Distribution System

The City of Tallahassee is proud to declare that its drinking water system is lead-free. This has been affirmed through a comprehensive analysis conducted between 2023 and 2025. "Lead-free" means there are no lead, galvanized requiring replacement, or lead status unknown service lines, no known lead connectors and no connectors of unknown material within the City's distribution system.

The City's lead-free declaration results from its timely completion of the initial lead service line inventory required by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule Revisions; completion of historical records reviews; field investigations; and predictive modeling (geostatistical modeling). Additionally, the City's lead-free declaration and supporting data was submitted to and accepted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Learn more about this process below.

In compliance with the initial Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) inventory and notification requirements, the City reviewed all applicable sources of information, including a records review that included:

Construction and plumbing codes
Existing records or other documentation which indicate the service line materials used to connect structures to the distribution system (tap cards, work order notes/forms)
Distribution system maps and drawings (as-builts)
Historical records on each service connection (inspection records)
Meter installation records
Historical capital improvement plans
Inspections and records of the distribution system that indicate the material composition of the service connections that connect a structure to the distribution system
Historical lead and copper tap sampling results

In addition, interviews with utility staff familiar with the water system were conducted to understand the current and past Standard Operating Procedures for water system records. Finally, the City's historian provided insight and records on the purchasing practices for water system components.

Following the initial development of the Water Service Line Inventory and customer outreach in October 2024, the City refined the inventory, in accordance with the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), by conducting field investigations to verify the status of Unknown service line material. The information gathered during field investigations was then used to conduct predictive modeling (geostatistical modeling) in accordance with EPA and FDEP requirements and guidance.

City of Tallahassee water quality experts are always available to help customers and answer any questions. You can email us at drinkingwater@talgov.com or call 850-891-4968.

People living in homes with a lead or galvanized pipe have an increased risk of exposure to lead from their drinking water. However, we want to assure customers that the City carefully regulates the water chemistry to ensure lead levels remain well below federal regulatory limits at our treatment facilities and throughout the water distribution system.

Water Service Line Address Look Up Tool and Survey

Residents can find the survey and information about the water service line at their home or business by using the address lookup tool in the water service line inventory available below. This inventory is best viewed on a desktop computer, is dynamic and will change as we gather more information.

As we have for more than 120 years, the City of Tallahassee will continue to ensure the drinking water we provide our customers is safe, reliable and of the highest quality.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a water service line?
A service line is an underground pipe that connects your home to the public water main, delivering water to faucets, bathtubs, showers, and other fixtures.
Did you receive a Water Service Line Material Notice from the City of Tallahassee?
The City of Tallahassee is required by the EPA under the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions to notify customers if part, or all, of the water service line material needs to be identified or replaced. There is no record of lead in City-owned water service lines. If all parts of your water service line have previously been confirmed to be non-lead, you will not receive a letter. All customers can access service line material data via the Water Service Line Inventory.

If you received a letter notifying you that your service line material is currently unknown, you can help identify your service line material by completing the survey linked with your address in the Water Service Line Inventory.
Where can I locate my service line?
Customer side water service lines can typically be seen outside at the meter box. Some service lines may also be visible where the line enters the house.
How were addresses selected for material verification by the City of Tallahassee?
To ensure sites are representative of the water system as a whole, random selection was used to determine field verification locations. Crews gathered data at selected addresses with water service lines of unknown material to update the Water Service Line Inventory based on a predictive model – a way to calculate the likelihood of where certain materials are using random samples of confirmed materials. Predictive modeling is a minimally disruptive way to determine what service lines are made of throughout the full water system.
How can I test the water at my home?
The City offers resources to help customers gather more information about water quality in their homes, including free in-home water quality testing. Appointments for in-home water quality testing can be made by calling 850-891-1200.
How does the City test drinking water?
The City maintains a vast water distribution system and operates a state-of-the-art Water Quality Laboratory. This nationally accredited facility is certified to analyze nearly 300 chemical components for drinking water, non-potable water (e.g., wastewater and stormwater) and solid samples. The 2024 Water Quality Report is available at Talgov.com/WaterQuality.

Under the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule, the City conducts tap water sampling at residential sites throughout our community each year. Residential tap sample results are available online and summarized in the 2024 Water Quality Report.
How can I determine my home's water service line material?
Residents can find information about the water service line at their home or business via the water service line inventory.

Residents with water service lines of currently unknown material are encouraged to learn more and complete a survey linked in the inventory results for their address.
How do I access the Survey?
Use this link to do just that!
What will the City of Tallahassee do with water service line survey results?
Water service line material information validated by the City of Tallahassee will be added to the inventory submitted to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Service lines constructed using outdated materials will be flagged for replacement.
What can I do if I'm concerned that I may have a lead service line at my home or business?
Notify the City by email at DrinkingWater@Talgov.com or by phone at 850-891-5271. Although lead service lines have the potential to leach lead into drinking water, the water chemistry in the City of Tallahassee distribution system is carefully managed to prevent this from happening. This means that lead may not necessarily be in the drinking water even if the service line is made from lead.
How does lead get into water?
Lead is seldom found as a natural contaminant in drinking water and generally originates from lead-based plumbing materials. Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials containing lead corrode over time. These materials include pipes made of lead, lead-based solder used to join copper pipe and brass and chrome-plated brass faucets. Lead service lines are typically the most significant source of lead in the water. In the City of Tallahassee, these materials are highly unlikely to be found in homes built after 1977, as lead was prohibited in the construction of service lines in that year.
What steps can I take to reduce the potential for lead exposure?
Run your faucet a bit before use. Thirty seconds to a minute is usually sufficient. This is particularly important after prolonged periods of limited or no use (i.e., after sleeping, vacations, closed business hours, etc.). Bringing fresh water into your plumbing before use will help ensure that any dissolved lead has been flushed out of the plumbing and fixtures.

Use water only from the cold tap for drinking, brushing your teeth, food preparation and cooking, as hot water can dissolve lead more quickly than cold water.

Clean or change your faucet aerator screens regularly. Sediment, calcium and lead deposits from your plumbing can accumulate on the screens and contribute to poor water quality and lower flow at the faucet.

Note that lead does not absorb through the skin, so showering or bathing with hot water does not pose a risk.
Where can I find more information about the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions?
For more information on the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, visit epa.gov/lead.