Peel Region tests tap water for lead for free in homes built before 1960. If lead turns up in the pipe, Peel replaces its own side and you pay for the private side, from the property line into the house.
Many Mississauga homes were built in the 1960s to 1980s, and Peel's own page only flags buildings from before 1960 as possibly having a lead water service. If you own an older home in a place like Port Credit or Streetsville, it is worth five minutes to check. Here is what Peel actually offers and what falls to you.
What Peel's free test involves
Peel says testing your tap water for lead is free. Homes and buildings on Peel's municipal water can qualify, particularly if they were built before 1960, may have lead plumbing or may have lead solder. Apartment buildings with six or more units are excluded. To book, email publicworkscustserv@peelregion.ca with the subject "Testing tap water for lead", or call 905-791-7800, ext. 4685.
The test is simple on your end: the tap runs for 45 minutes, and nobody in the home can use water while it does. Peel sends the results straight to you. Peel also says its drinking water is well below the acceptable lead level of 10 parts per billion, so the test is about what is in your own pipe and plumbing.
Which side of the property line is yours
If a result is over the provincial limit, Peel investigates the service pipe between your property and the watermain. If the public side contains lead, Peel replaces it immediately. The private side is different. Peel states plainly that it can't replace your private-side pipe because it doesn't own it. It encourages owners to replace it, or to monitor and control lead levels.
Find out what your private pipe is made of
Peel doesn't know what material builders used on the private side. Its page suggests calling the City of Mississauga's Building Department at 311 or 905-615-4311 to ask whether any records exist for your pipes. Many older homes will have none, in which case a plumber looking at the pipe where it enters the basement is the practical next step.
If the private side has to be replaced
Peel suggests the best time to replace a private pipe is when the Region is already replacing the watermain on your street, because homes and watermains in most areas are about the same age. Get advice from two or three plumbing contractors first, and confirm each is registered on the Skilled Trades Ontario public register; our guide on checking a contractor's licence shows how.
Digging means an underground locate through Ontario One Call, and you or your plumber must request it. On permits, the City's list of work needing a building permit does not mention water service pipe either way, so call 311 before the work starts and ask. Peel's page gives no cost figure or replacement rebate, and we found none, so get written quotes.
Quick answers
Does Peel test tap water for lead for free?
Yes, Peel tests tap water for lead at no cost for homes on its municipal supply, especially those built before 1960. Book by email or by calling 905-791-7800, ext. 4685.
Who replaces a lead pipe on my Mississauga property?
Peel replaces the public side if it contains lead. You own and replace the private side, from the property line into the house; Peel says it can't replace that part.
What happens during Peel's lead test?
The tap runs for 45 minutes while nobody in the home uses water. Peel sends the results directly to you.
How do I find out what my water pipe is made of?
Call 311 or 905-615-4311 and ask the City of Mississauga for any records of your private-side pipe. A plumber can also look at the pipe where it enters your basement.
Who can replace the private-side pipe?
Get advice from two or three licensed plumbers and confirm each on the Skilled Trades Ontario register. Rhodex can match you with a vetted craftsman at https://rhodex.ca/get-a-quote.html?from=lead-water-pipe-test-pre-1960-home-mississauga.
Start with the test
The test costs nothing and the result tells you whether you have a problem at all. Book it, keep the result, and only then start collecting plumbing quotes.
Related reading
- Home repair and renovation in Mississauga
- Plumbing services
- Running toilet or leaky tap behind a high water bill? What Peel will credit
- How to check a contractor's licence in Ontario
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