Frequently Asked Questions

Lead is a naturally-occurring element that can appear in trace amounts through the environment. However, lead can leach into drinking water through plumbing materials and fixtures that contain lead. In Brunswick County, it was never practice to use lead material in service lines, but it was not formally banned until 1986. For homes without lead service lines, the most common source of lead in drinking water comes from plumbing that has lead solder or faucets that are chrome-plated.

In 2021, Congress passed the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) that aims for all water systems in the country to identify and maintain an inventory of the drinking water service line materials by October 24, 2024. The LCRR also identifies reporting needs to customers impacted by a lead service line and sampling criteria within water systems.

In 2024, the EPA published a version of the updated Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). The LCRI maintains most of the requirements under the LCRR, with some changes such as lowering the lead action level and improving tap sampling requirements. Brunswick County Public Utilities is preemptively following the standards set forth in the LCRI, in regards to sampling protocols and inventory verification prior to the finalized 2027 deadlines.

Brunswick County has been accepted by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) as a non-lead system. This means, by historical data, physical inspections, and the standards of the lead and copper rule, that all of the service lines in the BCPU system are made of a non-lead material. This most commonly means plastic, galvanized iron, or copper pipe.

The interactive map helps you quickly determine the status of your home or business in the Brunswick County Public Utilities' inventory. Most homes are either 'non-lead' or 'determined non-lead by statistical analysis'.

If your home is non-lead, that means it was determined to be a non-lead material by either physical inspection by the County or age of construction.

If your home is non-lead by statistical analysis, that means that it is most likely (less than 1% chance) non-lead service line materials based on statistical calculations due to the non-lead status of other lines in the area.

You can check your service line at the water meter or where the line enters the home, commonly in a crawl space. The most commonly used plumbing material in Brunswick County is plastic, which is commonly white, black, or blue pipe. Copper pipe is the color of a penny, though if in the ground it can oxidize and turn a green-blue color on the outside. Lead and galvanized pipe look similar, but can be distinguished by scratching the metal or using a magnet. Lead will easily scratch and will NOT be magnetized, whereas galvanized will typically react to a strong magnet. Galvanized pipe is also susceptible to rust, whereas lead is not.

Service lines that are galvanized steel or iron were coated in zinc to prevent corrosion. These lines are typically found in homes from the 1960s-1970s before it was common practice to utilize plastic piping. Since Brunswick County Public Utilities is a non-lead system, the galvanized lines do not require replacement under the current EPA lead and copper rule. However, we recommend replacing outdated galvanized lines as good practice.

Not necessarily, though all service lines in BCPU's system are non-lead. Lead can enter drinking water through sources other than the service line. If you have chrome-plated faucets, interior plumbing made of lead materials, or a lead connector in the line on the property, you have a risk of lead contamination in your drinking water.

No. If you think your home's drinking water is at risk of lead exposure, boiling water does NOT remove lead. Water pitcher filters with activated carbon cartridges are a good method to filtering out lead contamination.

In accordance with EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, BCPU will be sampling a subset of customer's homes matching EPA-preferred sampling criteria. During our sampling period, we will reach out to customers who may fit the following criteria:

• Single-family homes with copper pipes with lead solder constructed between 1983-1988
• Multi-family homes (apartments and condos) with copper pipes with lead solder constructed between 1983-1988
• Single- or multi-family homes with copper pipes constructed before 1983