Identifying the material of a service line can be challenging: local plumbing codes vary and different pipe material and fittings were used during different decades. The materials available today were not necessarily available decades ago. One approach to identifying the material is to physically inspect the piping. Service line pipes may be exposed where they enter the home through a basement wall or floor, at the water meter, or when discovered through excavating the dirt over the service line or where it connects to the water main. 

Water Service Line Dashboard

Follow the link for the City's Water Service Line Dashboard to view a location's service line materials according to the City's current records. 

Corrosion Control Program

(updated November 2025)

The City of Portsmouth implemented a Lead & Copper Corrosion Control Program in 2003 and has been in compliance with its requirements ever since. The general purpose of the Corrosion Control Program is to minimize the potential for water supplied by the City to leach potentially harmful metals such as lead and copper from pipes, fixtures, and solder containing lead.