OKC offers free lead and copper testing

The Oklahoma City Utilities Department is offering free lead and copper testing for water customers who have lead water service lines on their property.

The testing is conducted in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule. Residents who get their water from private wells do not qualify.

Customers eligible for testing include those with houses built before 1960, and/or those who have confirmed lead service lines on their property.

To find out if lead lines exist, customers may hire a private plumber to inspect home service lines, or they may test the lines themselves. Lead lines are dull gray in color, and the metal is soft enough that it can easily be scratched with a coin or key.

City staff will deliver a testing kit to eligible households. Residents are asked to collect water according to the instructions on the testing kit, and Oklahoma City staff will pick up the samples within 48 hours.

Test results will be added to a database with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, so the city can track homes known to have lead piping. Each participating customer will receive a letter with the test results.

To request testing, call 297-3483 or email water@ okc.gov. For more information about lead pipes or the city’s lead testing program, go to okc.gov/water.