The City of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities is continuing its efforts to identify and address any remaining lead water pipes in the area. Around 3,300 residential and commercial customers have received annual notifications as required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The notices indicate whether a property’s private service line pipe material is classified as Lead, “Galvanized Requiring Replacement,” or “Unknown.” These notifications are sent with the utility’s logo on the return address.
After an initial Service Line Inventory conducted in October 2024, less than two percent of customer properties still have service lines listed as “Unknown.” Customers who receive letters indicating their service line status is “Unknown” are encouraged to complete an online self-report promptly. According to the city, this helps avoid additional costs and effort that would otherwise be needed for specialized staff and contractors to investigate thousands of properties.
To complete the online self-report, customers need a smartphone and should follow provided instructions. Submitting a photo of the service line where it enters a home or business—showing the shut-off valve—enables staff to verify the pipe material. The city states that this approach results in significant cost savings for the community.
Sample notification letters are available in English and Spanish at cityofws.org/pipes. Residents can also check their property’s status, follow steps to identify their own service lines, and submit verification results through this site. Nearly 98% of private service lines have already been identified as non-lead, largely because most buildings were constructed after North Carolina banned lead pipes in 1987.
WSFC Utilities expressed appreciation for community cooperation in meeting state and federal requirements for safe drinking water. Information about the Lead Compliance Program can be found at cityofws.org/3203 or by contacting CityLink via methods listed at cityofws.org/citylink. Residents may also subscribe to updates from Alert Center and News Flash for Utilities at cityofws.org/notifyme.
“Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or worsen existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these negative health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, and kidney, or nervous system problems. Learn more at epa.gov/lead.”
The City of Winston-Salem manages key infrastructure such as water treatment plants capable of processing up to 91 million gallons daily while maintaining extensive networks of water mains and sewer lines (https://www.cityofws.org/). As a municipal government serving residents within its boundaries in North Carolina (https://www.cityofws.org/), it supports economic development by assisting businesses, jobs, minority enterprises, and fostering community growth (https://www.cityofws.org/). The local government operates under a City Council structure with eight ward representatives alongside a mayor elected citywide (https://www.cityofws.org/), holding authority over laws, budgets, taxes (https://www.cityofws.org/), public services governance (https://www.cityofws.org/), civic functions (https://www.cityofws.org/) within Winston-Salem.
