JANESVILLE WATER UTILITY Lead Service Line Inventory

Janesville Water Utility serves approximately 64,415 people in Wisconsin. This page explains what we know about lead service lines in your water system and how to find out if your home is affected.

What is a lead service line?

A lead service line is the pipe that connects your home to the water main under the street. If your home was built before 1986—especially before the 1970s—there's a reasonable chance your service line contains lead. Lead can leach into your drinking water, particularly if water sits in pipes overnight or if your water is acidic.

What Janesville Water Utility reports

As of now, Janesville Water Utility has not yet completed or made public a comprehensive inventory of lead service lines in its distribution system. This is not unusual; many utilities across the country are still in the early stages of mapping their lead service lines, a requirement under the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule.

What this means for you: You cannot check a public database maintained by your utility to learn whether your specific address has a lead service line. However, you can take steps to find out.

How to find out about your home

Contact Janesville Water Utility directly. They can tell you:

• Whether your service line is known to be lead, galvanized steel, copper, or plastic
• When your home was built (an important clue, since most lead lines were installed before 1986)
• Whether the utility has records of any line replacement at your address

Protect yourself in the meantime

If you're concerned about lead in your water while you wait for answers:

• Use cold water for drinking and cooking. Hot water leaches lead faster.
• Let water run for 30 seconds before using it if it's been sitting in pipes for more than 6 hours (overnight, for example).
• Have your water tested by a certified lab—contact your county health department for a referral.
• Consider a point-of-use filter certified to remove lead (NSF/ANSI Standard 53).

If you have young children or are pregnant, discuss testing and precautions with your pediatrician or doctor; the CDC also has guidance on lead exposure prevention.

Next steps for residents

• Call Janesville Water Utility and ask about the lead service line at your address and the status of their inventory program.
• Find your home's construction year using local property records or your deed—this helps estimate risk.
• Get your water tested by a certified laboratory if you want to know your current lead levels.
• Visit the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule page for more details on your rights and timelines.

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