Water/Sewer Tap Records Help

Tap Records Look-up

View our tap records for information about your service line, including what material it is made of and its length.

Water/Sewer Tap Images

Do I have a lead service line?

Use this interactive map to look up the status of the service line on your property and determine if it is non-lead, lead, or lead-contaminated galvanized steel.

Disclaimer: The public information contained herein is furnished as a public service by the City of Lincoln. Please be aware these records may not be complete, may have missing information, or may not have been updated if the property owner had work performed and it was not reported to the City. The City of Lincoln assumes no responsibility for any error appearing in the information furnished and makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability of the information for any particular use. Furthermore, the City of Lincoln assumes no responsibility for the use of the information provided and if precise information is needed, it is highly recommended that you verify the information by consulting the official sources of the information. In some cases, the information may need to be updated.

Related Information

Definitions

These definitions are important for older properties because often these two sections are made of different materials.

Service Line –
the pipe that connects the water meter to the city-owned water main pipe near the street. Although this pipe is commonly referred to as the “service line,” it is really comprised of two sections: a “supply pipe” and a “service pipe.”
Supply Pipe –
the section of pipe between the water main and the curb stop/stop box where the shut-off valve is located.
Service Pipe –
the section of pipe between the curb stop/stop box and the water meter.

The most common place to find lead pipe in a service line is the supply pipe. Lead “goosenecks” (short, curved sections of lead pipe) can also be found right before and right after the water meter. Lead service lines were mostly discontinued by the mid-1930s, but a small number were still being installed in the 1940s.

The building’s owner is responsible for the service line.

A typical service line in Lincoln

Hire a Plumber

We recommend you use an experienced, licensed plumber to look for and replace lead pipes, fittings, fixtures, or other potential sources of lead. A licensed plumber is required for any service line repair or replacement.

Instructions for viewing water service line records

  1. Search the database by address, owner, parcel number, or by clicking on a property on the map.
  2. If there are records associated with the selected address, they will appear under the heading “TAP Images.”
  3. Click on all the records labeled “Water” to see the pdf images of our records.
  4. If you cannot find your property by address, try finding it on the map. However, some addresses do not have any records associated with them.

It is important to look over all the records listed as many older service lines have been partially or fully replaced and may have additional records indicating this. If the supply line was replaced you may see the words “old tap abandoned” and/or “replacement tap”.

Please feel free to call LWS at 402-441-7571 for help interpreting these records.

Example of an older tap record:

There have been several different styles of records over the years. Below is an example of a common “index card” style record that was used for many decades before being replaced with 8 ½ x 11 inch records. These examples include the original record from 1910 and the records indicating the lead supply pipe was replaced in 1978.

  1. Address
  2. Supply pipe information including length, diameter, and material type. In this example, there were 41 feet of lead pipe connecting the water main to the curb stop. The diameter is unknown since it is blank.
  3. Service pipe information—In this example, there were 162 feet of ¾ inch diameter galvanized pipe from curb stop to meter.
  4. The original date of the record. In this example, the original service line was installed on Sept 1, 1910.
  5. Additional notes from a later date can be added to the original remarks in this section. In this example, the old tap (connection to the water main) was abandoned and replaced on November 30, 1978. Additional records may be available to indicate new materials. See below.

Example of an older “replacement tap” record:

  1. Supply pipe information—In this example, the original 1910 lead pipe was replaced with 43 feet of ¾ inch diameter copper pipe.
  2. Service pipe information—In this example, there is no new information about the service pipe. The original 162 feet of galvanized pipe, indicated on the 1910 record, may still be in place.
  3. The date of the replacement record—in this example, the lead supply pipe was replaced with copper on November 30, 1978.
  4. The remarks indicate this is a replacement tap.
  5. Supply pipe material—In this example, the portion of the service line between the water main and the curb stop was replaced with copper
  6. Supply pipe length
  7. Service pipe length—In this example, no information is given about the pipe between the curb stop and the meter.
  8. Date of inspection record

PDF Fact Sheet (PDF, 439KB)

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