When did they stop...

[Oklahoma Rebel]

About what year/decade did they stop using lead pipe in housing and industrial buildings ( I realize they could have stopped at different times, not sure) and also I am really interested if they stopped in different regions at different times? I would imagine cali came first,lol. so if anyone can tell me I would be "flushed" with excitement, if you don't get it, its not your fault, im just not that funny. thanks, Travis in oklahoma

[Idz]

Using lead supply pipe generally stopped around WWII, lead solder for copper water pipe was banned in the 80's.

[Bookworm]

I had a tract house built in 1948. The drain lines were lead, the supply lines copper.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

what about the grey water( that's the outgoing water right?) pipes?

[jcren]

I have seen cast iron sewer piped with okum(sp) and lead seals in houses that were built in the 60's here in OK

[Wots]

I had a house, built in 1955, SE side of chicago which had lead pipe from the street to the house. Once inside it changed over to galvanized pipe. I suspect there is still quite a lot of houses in chicago with this.

[rancher1913]

still quite a bit in use in flint, MI. ;-)

[redriverhunter]

i wonder how hard it is to get lead out of water is some places they are doing the sewer to tap thing?

[Oklahoma Rebel]

not sure what you mean?

[Oklahoma Rebel]

oh ok , not sure, I know the water plants have like 3-4-5 different operations they go through before the water is done.

[Bookworm]

what about the grey water( that's the outgoing water right?) pipes?

In the 1948 house that I used to own, the drain lines from the sinks were lead, the sewer lines under the house were cast iron, the line from the house to the sewer main was clay.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

cool, that's helpful if I ever get to "pick" a house for lead

[Ken in Iowa]

There was limited use of lead drain pipes here up until the 1980s. It was quite useful for stool risers.

If I had lead water supply piping, it would be replaced with plastic tomorrow!

[Oklahoma Rebel]

yeah, I know, right?

[RogerDat]

I think the use of lead to seal cast iron drain pipes was probably one of the last plumbing pipe to stop being used. See those sewer pipe lead strips regularly. I think lead solder probably went around that time. I think sheet lead for flashing might have gone on longer.