For homeowners

Types of water line: which one runs to your home?

Choose Copper for the service line from the house to the street in private home construction, as soft annealed copper coils, usually ¾ inch (CT DPH, 2009); Plastic (PEX or polyethylene) for municipal water service pipe in underground applications, as PEX (HUD PEX design guide, 2006).

The right choice depends on whether your current line is lead or galvanized steel, whether the new line runs through a basement or foundation wall, and how carefully a copper line is installed.

How we know: By InstaBids editorial team with AI research agents. · Sources read: 17 October 2026 · Updated 27 October 2026

EPA: whatever it is made of, a service line is the pipe that connects the water main to the plumbing in a home or building.
Type	Best for	Main advantages	Main drawbacks
Copper	the service line from the house to the street in private home construction, as soft annealed copper coils, usually ¾ inch (CT DPH, 2009)	a film that forms inside the pipe protects it from the water's natural aggressive action (CT DPH, 2009); Kentucky's Division of Water homeowner guide names copper as an example material for replacing a service line	a large part of copper pipe corrosion is the direct result of improper workmanship or poor installation (CT DPH, 2009)
Plastic (PEX or polyethylene)	municipal water service pipe in underground applications, as PEX (HUD PEX design guide, 2006)	Kentucky's Division of Water homeowner guide names high-density polyethylene as an example material for replacing a service line	buried PEX tubing will expand or contract approximately 1 inch for each 10°F change for each 100 feet of tubing (HUD PEX design guide, 2006); where PEX runs through a basement or foundation wall, it must be protected by a rigid sleeve (HUD PEX design guide, 2006); petroleum-based caulks or sealants should not come in direct contact with PEX (HUD PEX design guide, 2006)
Galvanized steel	no official source names one	no official source names one	a galvanized line that is or ever was downstream of a lead service line can adsorb lead and contribute to lead in drinking water (EPA, 2022); a lead-lined galvanized line may not show its interior lead lining to visual observation or excavation (EPA, 2022)
Lead	no official source names one	no official source names one	lead can leach from these pipes into tap water (EPA); knowing where lead service lines are is challenging for many communities, due to poor recordkeeping and long histories of repairs (EPA)

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Sources for the facts on this page

Connecticut Department of Public Health, Private Well Program, Publication No. 35: Corrosion of Copper Pipe and Fittings (November 2009), government, read 22 October 2026.
Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, Division of Water, Guidance for Homeowners: Replacing Your Own Water Service Line, government, read 22 October 2026.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research (HUD User), Design Guide: Residential PEX Water Supply Plumbing Systems, Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), prepared by the NAHB Research Center, November 2006, government, read 17 October 2026.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Guidance for Developing and Maintaining a Service Line Inventory (EPA 816-B-22-001, August 2022), government, read 22 October 2026.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead, government, read 22 October 2026.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Getting Started with Lead Service Line Identification and Replacement, government, read 22 October 2026.